Taking a Gamble
by GeneralWildfire
Summary: Continuing from where Obsession left off, with my own twist, the "Magnificent Seven" are ready to ride again, but there's a surprise for the seven and whether or not this surprise proves to be helpful or a hindrance remains to be seen as the story unfolds
1. Blessing or Curse Part I

_**I do not own any of the Magnificent Seven characters, I just didn't want to see them sitting on a shelf collecting dust!**_

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><p>In the dusty, little town of Four Corners, people were walking up and down the main drag on, or in some cases, off the board walks. At the <em>Clarion<em>, Mary Travis was busy at getting her paper printed, and at the Standish Tavern, one Nathan Jackson, and one Ezra Standish, were sitting at one of the tables, eating their lunch, or in Ezra's case, breakfast.

Inez set down an envelope next to Ezra, "Senor, Mrs. Travis dropped this off earlier for you."

"Why thank you, Senorita Recillos," Ezra said, as he picked up the envelope and flipped it over so he could look at the return address. "I should have known that old bat would want to get back at me for the gift I so graciously sent her."

Nathan said, even though he knew better than to ask, "What did you send her?"

"A warrant for her arrest," Ezra stated with a grin. Nathan rolled his eyes.

Setting down the envelope, Ezra pulled out a golden pocket watch out of his scarlet coat pocket, before he stowed it away again, "I wonder what Mr. Larabee has planned now that he's fully recuperated from his ordeal." Nathan continued to eat his meal, so Ezra continued, "Will he decide that this minute town requires our full attention, or will he ask us to ride after that…what did he call Mrs. Gaines? That sick bitch?"

"I don't know," Nathan stated. "All I do know is that this town still needs us."

"Indeed," Ezra mused as he picked up the envelope once again, and ripped it open. He unfolded the letter and started to read, a fake smile on his face, as he reached for his drink of whiskey and tilted it towards his mouth to drink. The liquid had just entered his mouth when his eyes widened and he spat out the alcohol, spraying poor Nathan.

"What is wrong with you?" Nathan demanded as he stood up, not in the least bit happy.

Ezra didn't take his eyes off the letter, "Nothing. Nothing. Just a cruel joke!" He went to take a drink again, looking a bit calmer as he continued to read for a second, and then the liquid was once again sprayed across the table, and Nathan was hit once again. As Ezra coughed, Nathan wasn't sure whether to help him or to just let him choke after that last incident.

Ezra managed to regain some of his composure, as he muttered, "She must be joking…she has to be. A spiteful retaliation for that warrant for her arrest…it has to be."

Nathan was about to ask what was in the letter, when the tavern's doors swung open and Buck Wilmington, J.D. Dunne, and Josiah Sanchez walked in, each of them taking a seat near Nathan and Ezra's table.

Josiah leaned back in his chair, setting a hand on Nathan's shoulder, "Brother, what happened to you?"

"Ezra, you look like hell!" JD exclaimed.

"Observant as always, Mr. Dunne," Ezra stated, giving the youth with the stupid hat a dark look.

"What?" JD demanded, flinching from Ezra's look.

Without warning, Buck snatched the letter from Ezra's hands and put some distance between himself and Ezra as he started to read the laughter in a soppy voice, "Dear Son, I must thank you for the gift you sent. I see you haven't lost your humor. Now it's my turn to give you a gift that's been long overdue. I'm sending your daughter to live with you." Buck blinked a couple times in confusion, rereading the last sentence silently, before he grinned at Ezra, "You've got a daughter!"

"It's a cruel joke!" Ezra snapped, standing up and advancing on Buck. "It's probably some actress she hired just to mess with my head!"

Buck nimbly leaped behind the bar and scanned the rest of the letter, as he continued to grin, "Well, you'll find out in a few minutes. According to this she'll be arriving today on the noon stage!" This got the desired result, as Ezra whipped out his pocket watch to check the time; Buck leaped over the bar and showed the letter to Josiah, Nathan, and JD.

Ezra sank into a chair, looking pale, "Oh good Lord!"

"You all right, Ez?" JD inquired, worried about the gambler.

Ezra snapped, "Do I look all right?"

"Well…no," JD answered.

Nathan said, "You didn't need to answer that."

"Oh!" JD blushed. "I knew that!"

Josiah stood up and walked over to Ezra, "A child is a blessing, Ezra. This should be a time to celebrate."

Ezra glared at the preacher, "No offense, Josiah, but I do believe that this is some cruel and unusual joke that my mother is pulling. So, pardon me if I don't leap with joy."

Before anything else could be said, the tavern doors swung open once more, to reveal two men, Chris Larabee and Vin Tanner.

Chris made his way straight towards the bar, while Vin's keen eye took in the state Ezra was in, "You look like your horse just died."

"I wish that was my only dilemma," Ezra muttered.

Buck chimed in happily, "Ezra's got a daughter!"

Vin's eyes widened, while Chris turned away from the bar, his gaze unreadable, "Your what?"

"A cruel joke from my mother," Ezra muttered, though he didn't look so sure of that fact.

Vin decided to get out of the line of fire as Chris moved away from the bar towards Ezra. He leaned against the wall next to one of the tavern's windows.

Buck showed Chris the letter, while Ezra looked like he wanted to disappear. Chris' gaze was still unreadable, "We'll know soon enough if this is a joke or not. The stage should be arriving now."

As if on cue, the sound of the stage coach could be heard, as it rattled down the street towards them.

Ezra paled even further at the sound of the stage coach, which didn't go unnoticed by the others, who said nothing, some feeling sympathy for the gambler while others felt skeptical of the gambler, unsure if he was telling the truth or not.

Vin listened as the stage coach rattled past, and he risked a glance out the window. He did a double take out the tavern window as he caught a glimpse of a golden hindquarter and a flash of white tail. " 'Cuse me for a minute." He said, pushing his way out of the doors. He whistled and poked his head back in, "Chris. Buck. You're goin' want to see this."

Buck looked interested as he made his way towards the saloon doors, while Chris remained where he was, standing next to a horrified looking Ezra, and an alcohol-splattered Nathan.

Chris was surprised when Buck poked his head in after looking at whatever had caught Vin's attention and said, "Chris, you've got to take a look at this."

Sighing, Chris made his way towards the tavern doors and pushed through them, glancing at Buck and Vin and asking, "Well?" They pointed at the stage coach that had just arrived, and Chris' eyes widened a bit in admiration of the fine animal that was tied to the back of the coach.

The horse was well muscled and built, with strong hind quarters, a deep chest, strong back, strong, yet fine legs, and a fine head. Its only flaw to their eyes was its coat which was a deep gold, while its mane and tail were pure white, and it had one stocking on its left hind leg. Its eyes were coal black, and they glinted with intelligence as the horse tossed its head.

Buck whistled, "That's one fine animal!"

Chris nodded in agreement before he headed back into the tavern, muttering, "Too flashy."

"Wonder who owns such a fine creature?" Buck muttered, heading towards the tavern as well.

Vin had other ideas, he walked towards the stage coach, and said to the driver, "I'll help you get this horse settled."

The driver's reaction surprised him, "Be careful of that animal! He's vicious!"

"I've handled foul-tempered horses before," Vin said, setting his hand on the palomino's left shoulder. "I'm sure I can…!" He was cut off as the horse snaked its head around and tried to take a chunk out of Vin's shoulder. The horse's teeth clacked together as Vin leapt back, a bit startled. The horse glared at him, its ears laid flat against its head and teeth bared.

A female voice said, with a familiar Southern accent, "I'd appreciate it if you left my horse alone, sir. He doesn't care for men."

Vin took a couple paces back so he could see who had spoken, and he was rendered temporarily speechless.

Standing within the door to the stage coach, was a young woman in a light blue dress and hat. She had hazel eyes, and from what Vin could see, auburn hair.

Recovering fairly quickly, he offered his hand to her, "If I may, Miss."

She accepted his hand as he helped her down, "Why thank you Mr…"

"Vin Tanner, Miss," Vin stated, tipping his hat.

She smiled at him, "Mr. Tanner."

"Can I get your bags, Miss?" Vin offered, eager to assist this beauty.

Buck was looking out the tavern doors, at that moment, and he chuckled as he glanced back at the others, "Looks like someone's in love!"

This was enough to bring Chris away from the bar, once again, "Who is…aw hell!"

JD walked over as well and stated, "Well it looks like she's unmarried." He quickly hurried back to the others after the look Chris shot him.

"Why that's mighty kind of you Mr. Tanner," she stated, smiling at him again.

While Vin was grabbing her two bags, she walked behind the stage coach and untied her horse from the back of it, turning him so that she could see where she could possibly tether her horse.

Vin noticed her looking at his and the others' horses, "You can tether him anywhere, Miss. None of the horses over there will do him harm."

She nodded and started to lead her horse over to Vin's own black horse, Peso, when Peso laid back his ears and squealed at the new horse. She frowned, before she moved her horse in between a buckskin, who merely glanced up from his dozing at the approach of strange, new horse, and a bay. Once she had her horse tethered, the bay set his teeth on the palomino's withers, having to stretch it's neck up a bit, since the palomino was a good head taller than the bay, and started to mutual groom her horse.

"Ornery cuss," Vin muttered darkly under his breath as he shot Peso a dark look.

Chris couldn't help smiling when he watched Peso act like his usual, ornery self.

While Buck was grinning foolishly, "She placed her horse next to mine!"

"Easy, Stud. Her horse is in between yours and Ezra's," Chris stated.

"Oh shoot!" He muttered, slightly downcast. That soon changed though, "Well, Peso certainly turned that pretty filly off! Peso stomped all over his dreams!"

Chris glanced back at Ezra, who was rooted to his chair, and oddly silent. He couldn't help grinning at the thought of the gambler actually having nothing to say on the subject.

Outside, while Vin was still glaring at his horse, the young woman approached him, and asked sweetly, though her eyes were stormy, "Do you by any chance know where I may find a Mr. Ezra Standish?"

Vin was too distracted by her beauty to notice her stormy gaze "Sure, Miss. If you'll follow me," he offered her his arm, which she tentatively took as he led the way towards the tavern.

"Oh!" Buck shoved Chris out of the way of the doors as Vin and his lady friend approached.

Chris grunted, "What's the matter with you?"

Buck giggled, "Just don't move, Stud. Just don't move. You'll get a full glimpse of what's coming through!"

Chris sighed just as the tavern doors swung open to reveal, an unusually ecstatic, Vin escorting a pretty young lady. Vin stopped, and glared at Buck, knowing full well what he'd been doing, while Buck just grinned back.

While Vin glared at a grinning Buck, Chris and the young woman were sizing the other up. Chris giving her a disapproving glare, while the young woman gave him a disbelieving glare.

Meanwhile, JD was waving his hand in front of Ezra's face, "Ez? Ezra? Hello?" He glanced at Nathan, "What's wrong with him?" Nathan shrugged. "Ez? She's here…" He temporarily lost his train of thought, "What's up with, Vin?"

This simple statement was enough to bring Ezra out of his shock as he turned to look at Vin, "Why, I do believe, Mr. Tanner is once again in love."

"With your daughter," Nathan stated, causing Ezra to go back into shock.

Josiah made a toast to the ceiling, "Thank you, Lord! Ezra is silent! I didn't think I'd live to see this!"

JD glanced at Josiah in surprise, "What?" Josiah just grinned.

After one last glare at Buck, Vin gently steered the young woman away from the scowling Chris, and he whispered, "Stay away from him for the time being." She blinked at him in confusion as he led her over to a table where four men were sitting, one of them in a classic, gambler's get-up. Her gaze became like that of many daggers.

Ezra, sensing danger, looked up, and any remaining color in his face drained away as Vin gave the introductions, "Miss, this is Ez…" Vin didn't get to finish his introduction.

The young woman's voice was like pure venom, "Aren't you pleased to see me, _Father_?"

Ezra flinched on the last word, but he managed to regain his composure as he stood up, "My darling girl, whatever she paid you certainly can't be enough for this act."

If it was possible, her gaze worsened, "Let me clear up any misunderstandings here, _Father_." Ezra flinched once again, "My name is Sara M. Standish." The tavern with these words, "And I am most assuredly your daughter."

Ezra was grasping at straws in a last desperate effort to prove that the young lady before him wasn't his daughter, "Just how old are you?"

"Seventeen in a fortnight," she stated. Ezra sank into his chair, doing the math in his head, obviously lost in thought.

Vin was surprised at how quickly the young woman's personality had changed when she had seen Ezra, but he soon forgot about it again as she asked him, her voice sweet once again, "Could you recommend a place for me to freshen up and deposit my belongings?"

"If you wouldn't mind the company, I'll escort you over yonder, Miss," Vin said, offering her his arm once again, which she took, and he escorted her out, sticking out his tongue as he passed Buck.

Chris made to grab Vin's arm as he passed, but stopped, figuring he'd get him on the way back.

Nathan muttered to Josiah, "That was mature."

"As the young stallion claims his prize," Josiah muttered.

Buck stated, "Oh it's on now!" Chris just shook his head back and forth. Buck hollered at Ezra, missing Chris' head motion, "Figured out if she's yours yet Ezra?" One look at Ezra told him everything, "I can't believe you made something that pretty."

JD chimed in, "Remember the time he…"

Ezra cut him off, "Don't even think of that incident, Mr. Dunne."

"THAT was just plain scary," Buck stated. Before he grinned mischievously, "So how old were you were you sired that fine looking filly?"

"I was sixteen, Mr. Wilmington," Ezra stated trying to retain some pride.

Buck grinned, "Shoot, I was sowing my oats two years prior to that."

Ezra muttered, "Be lucky anything hasn't shown up on your door step."

"Don't forget, Buck, you did have a scare just recently," Josiah stated.

"I was planning to make it right!" Buck muttered, looking affronted.

Chris elbowed Buck, "Admit it, you were relieved."

"Darn tootin' I was!" Buck admitted without any shame. Josiah gave Buck a knowing glance.

Meanwhile at the boarding house, as Vin led the way up the stairs to an empty room, Sara asked, "May I ask how you know my father, Mr. Tanner?"

"We're the law in this town, Miss," Vin answered, eager to please. "There's seven of us all together."

"Am I to assume that the other five men in the tavern were also make up the law in this town?" She questioned.

Vin nodded, as reached her room door, setting her bags down, "I can wait for you, Miss, if you want."

"No, that's all right, Mr. Tanner, I believe I can find my own way back to the tavern," she answered, opening her door.

Vin tipped his hat before he made his way back to the tavern where he was met by Chris, who cut right to the chase, "Is this going to be another distraction?"

"Stay out of my business, Larabee!" Vin snapped, as he stalked into the tavern, leaving a surprised Chris behind. Chris walked in a few seconds later and made his way to the bar, finally getting his drink.

As Vin sat down, Buck mooed, hoping to get a reaction out of the bounty hunter, but he didn't get the one he wanted. Vin just grinned at him, stating in his casual way, "I know where her room is do you?"

Ezra slammed down his drink and stood up, sending his chair skating across the floor. Vin glanced Ezra warily, "What's wrong, Ez?" Ezra didn't answer, merely retrieving his chair and glaring at the bounty hunter as he sat back down.

Buck walked to Vin and patted his shoulder, "Nice knowin' ya!"

"Aw, hell, Ez! You know I didn't mean it like that!" Vin said, trying to work his way out of the hole he had just dug.

Ezra's gaze was livid, "Then pray tell what you did mean Mr. Tanner. Enlighten me."

"Ah-uh… um…I think I need to check on something in my wagon," Vin stated as he shot of the tavern.

Everyone turned in surprise as they heard their fearless leader snort, as his shoulders shook.

Buck's mouth fell open, before he just started to grin stupidly, while the others laughed, apart from Ezra, who still looked like he wouldn't mind turning in Vin for the five hundred dollars.

Chris turned around laughing as well, "That made my day."

"Mr. Tanner sure left here in quite a hurry," Ezra said, smiling slightly.

Josiah added, "Like the devil himself was hot on his heels."

"That sure put that pup in his place," Buck stated grinning.

Chris turned back to his drink, just as the tavern doors opened, and a figure in the classic gamblers' get-up walked in.

JD commented, while Ezra tried to figure out what had come over him, "If I wasn't dating Casey, I still wouldn't try and court her, she's not that pretty!" He froze as he heard the notorious click of a gun being cocked.

"Care to run that by me again?" Sara asked, standing on his right, looking like a pretty female version of Ezra, except where Ezra had a scarlet coat on, she had a plum coat on.

"Uh…uh!" JD stammered while Sara uncocked the gun and moved it away from his head.

Buck chuckled, "Boy, you look like a fish out of water!"

"Why are you even dressed like that?" J. D. demanded, trying to get back some of his pride.

Sara smiled, "I prefer this attire than to that dreadful tent I was wearing earlier."

Nathan muttered to Josiah, "She really looks like Ezra with what she's wearing now." Josiah nodded in agreement.

JD glared at her as she holstered her gun and turned to face Chris' back. "I've heard that you all are the law in town."

This statement was enough to make Chris turn around and glare in the general direction of Vin's wagon. "What of it?" Chris asked.

"Well, Mr…"

"Larabee," He supplied.

She smiled, "Well Mr. Larabee, seeing as to how I'll be staying here for awhile, it seems I will be riding with you and the others, since I have no intention of just sitting idly by in this here town."

"You need experience to join up with us!" JD said smugly.

Chris ignored JD "It's a dangerous job…we…"

"Mr. Larabee, I'm fully aware of the dangers involved," she stated.

Chris glanced at Ezra, who was still pondering what had come over him earlier, he sighed, seeing no help there, "You need to know how to shoot and ride."

"Why don't I demonstrate my prowess in these areas to you in an hour?" Sara asked. "This will give me time to get more…appropriate tack for my horse."

Chris nodded, and Sara took her leave, heading towards her horse and neatly dodging the love struck Vin.

Vin walked back into the tavern looking a bit crestfallen, and then wary as he glanced at Ezra. Seeing no threat from the gambler he walked, leaning against the wall once again, and looking outside.

JD stared at Chris in surprise, "You didn't let me join so easily!"

"This is a different case entirely," Chris stated, turning back towards the bar. "She's going to be here for awhile by the sounds of it, so I might as well give her a fair chance to show us what she can do…"

JD scowled, not in the least bit happy. Buck smacked him in the back, "Cheer up, JD! You've earned your place here, even if you did make a fool of yourself when you first showed up!"

"Thanks, Buck," JD said, sarcastically.

Vin whistled, attracting the others attention, "She's got some mighty fine tack there!"

Ezra walked over to the window and glanced out of it, "That's a side saddle seat and bridle. I can see what she meant about needing more appropriate tack. She should get a fair trade at the Livery."

"Why's that, Ez?" Buck asked, coming to stand near the window as well.

Ezra answered, "Because it's all in exquisite condition."

Buck and Vin couldn't argue, especially when they watched Sara come back out of the Livery with an ebony bridle and saddle that was a tad bit worn, but probably the best Tiny had.

They all left the window as she started to saddle the palomino, deciding to relax a bit while they could.

Ezra inquired, as he started to shuffle a deck of cards, "So, Mr. Larabee. What are your intentions now that you're completely recovered from your injury?"

"We still have to protect this town, Ezra," Chris stated. "And Ella will return. I know she will. Until then, we're remaining here."

All of the other seven nodded, satisfied with this answer.

An hour later, Chris walked out of the tavern, followed by the other seven, each of them eager to see what Sara could do. She was already mounted on her palomino, the black tack standing out against its golden hide.

As Chris walked into the middle of the street, she moved the reins slightly and the palomino started to turn on its hindquarters, keeping in one place as it spun faster and faster, until horse and rider were a blur.

Buck whistled, "Now, THAT'S riding!" JD scowled.

Without warning, the palomino shot down the street, easily eating up the ground with its massive stride. At the end of the street, Sara set the reins against right side of the palomino's neck, and the palomino turned instantly, and thundered back down the street straight towards Chris. People were standing on the board walks now, interested in what was going on, as the palomino came down the street at a full gallop.

As the palomino and its rider came closer and closer, everyone glanced uneasily at Chris. Nathan, Josiah, and JD were the first to abandon Chris, not wanting to get run over by the sturdy palomino. Ezra was the next one to leave, not putting it past his daughter to trample him.

Buck said nervously, "Chris!" Vin kept casting anxious glances at the fearless leader.

"I'm not asking either of you to stay," Chris stated. Buck and Vin abandoned him without hesitation then.

JD asked as the palomino was starting to get past the safe stopping distance, "Is she ever going to stop that horse of hers?"

"I sure hope so, JD" Buck answered, worried about his friend now.

At the last possibly second, several feet separating Chris and the palomino, Sara flicked the reins and the palomino slid to a stop, its golden hindquarters sliding underneath its body as it came to a stop an inch away from Chris, its forehead at Chris' eye level.

"Whooeee!" Buck yelled. "Boy that pretty filly can ride!"

Chris shoved the muzzle away, and Sara frowned at her horse, obviously disappointed that the palomino hadn't bitten Chris.

Vin muttered, "Sure, tries to take a chunk out of me, but not him."

Chris was unfazed by how close he had come to being trampled by the palomino, "You definitely can ride." He walked over to JD who grabbed his hat with both hands, holding it to his head, "I'm not going to use that."

JD relaxed only to have his hat yanked off his head by Buck, who threw it to Chris. JD retaliated by shoving Buck fairly hard, almost sending the older gun slinger into the horse water trough.

Chris walked back out into the street and threw JD's hat into the air. Whipping out her Colt, she fanned the hammer, firing all six shots at the hat.

When the hat hit the ground, Chris walked over and examined it, before he tossed it back to JD. Buck intercepted the throw, determined to examine the hat, "Pretty fast shot." He finally allowed JD to have his hat back.

"Thank you!" snapped an indignant JD.

Chris nodded in agreement to Buck's statement, before he glanced down the street and found a can that someone had left lying around. He walked quite a ways down the street before he set it down, and moved away from it, indicating that Sara should shoot at it once she had dismounted.

She dismounted with ease before she took aim at the can. The first shot hit the can dead on, sending it back several feet, the same happened with the second and third shots, on the fourth, she missed, but by then, the can would have been hard for many of the seven apart from Chris, Vin, and Buck.

Chris looked at the other seven before he glanced at Sara, who was leading her horse back to the hitching post, "I'll let you know later what my decision is." With that said, he headed back towards the tavern, followed by most of the others, apart from Ezra and JD.

Ezra approached his daughter, "Where did you learn to shoot and ride like that?"

"Well, _Father_," Ezra flinched on the word. "My _grandmother_," she placed as much venom on the word as she did with father. "Thought it would be best if I was educated in many expertises."

Ezra frowned, but he didn't add anything. Instead he asked, "Did she make sure you received an education?"

The look she shot him made him wish he had just kept his mouth shut, "_Father_," he flinched on the word, "I don't see why you're concerning yourself with all of this at the present time. You were never concerned about my well being before. Now, if you'll excuse me, my horse requires my immediate attention."

What Sara had said bothered Ezra as he made his way towards the tavern. He sank into a chair and sighed heavily, pulling out a deck of cards and shuffling it absentmindedly while he pondered what his daughter had said.

Buck, seeing that his friend was obviously troubled, tried to perk him up, "At least she's not in her terrible twos, Ez."

"No, I missed her terrible twos only to have to deal with her terrifying teens," Ezra muttered, waving down Inez so he could get a drink.

Outside, JD, approached Sara, his pride wounded since she had indeed done better than when he had first joined the seven.

"You know, you weren't that good," JD stated. "It really does take experience to be a true member of the group."

Sara sighed, before she turned around, blinking flirtatiously at him, "You know, JD, you look so handsome in this lighting."

"What?" JD backed up as Sara advanced on him.

She smiled, "You must be the heartthrob of the town…"

JD kept backing up, "L-look, I have a girlfriend!"

"And I'm sure she'll completely understand…" She leaned in, and JD backed up even further, and he lost his balance, falling into the horse water trough. Sara grinned, as he came sputtering out of the water, "I'm sure she'll love to listen to your pathetic excuse as to why you're saturated with water."

Unbeknownst to both of them, Casey had watched the entire incident from across the street, and Buck had been watching from just outside the tavern. He chuckled to himself as he watched JD flopped out of the trough. "Uh-oh!" He said, sitting up straight in his chair as he watched Casey stomp towards Sara.

Casey demanded, "What are you doing, flirting with my boyfriend?"

Sara glanced at Casey, "I wasn't attempting to win Mr. Dunne's affections in the slightest. I was merely maneuvering him towards the water trough so he'd get drenched."

"I don't take kindly to someone doing that to my boyfriend either!" Casey snapped. "You slut!"

Sara's eyes blazed, "A slut? I suggest you take that back, you whore!"

Casey threw the first punch, her fist colliding with Sara's cheek. From there the two young females were a rolling in the dust, each trying to get a good shot at the others.

JD leapt back in alarm and glanced towards Buck, who was out of his chair and heading into the tavern.

Buck shoved through the tavern doors, "We got a problem!" He retracted his head and watched the fight, flinching as each of the girls fought, it was now obvious that Casey was starting to lose.

Chris was the first one out of the tavern, and he glared down the street at the two females before he made his way towards them.

Nathan asked Ezra as they walked out, "Shouldn't _you_ be the one breaking that up?"

"Oh, I'm not getting involved in that, then she'd draw her gun on me," Ezra stated without any shame. Nathan rolled his eyes.

Josiah asked Buck, "Why didn't you break up the fight?"

Buck chose not to answer, flinching as Sara got a solid punch in.

"Break it up!" Chris bellowed, neither of the girls paid him any attention though. "That's enough!" He gave another warning, which also went unheeded.

Moving in, he grabbed Sara around her midsection, unfortunately, she had been in the process of moving her arm back for another punch, and Chris got her elbow in his cheek, and he felt it split open. He carried her away from Casey, and into a side street.

"Not very ladylike," Vin stated, smiling slightly.

Ezra was frowning in thought, "No. Not at all." He was recalling the difference between the two girls' punches and how one had seemed more boy-like than the other.

"Hey! Ezra!" Vin said, tapping the gambler on the shoulder, "What's on your mind?"

"Nothing, Mr. Tanner. Nothing at all," Ezra answered, heading back towards the tavern.

In the side street, Chris roughly set Sara on her feet, "What the hell was that back there?"

"Did you honestly expect me to be called a slut and allow her to beat me into the dust, Mr. Larabee?" Sara demanded, still ticked off.

Chris gave her his best glare, which seemed to quell her temper, "Street brawls between ladies, or anybody for that matter isn't tolerated here."

"Now I know," Sara said, sarcastically. "Why don't you remind that we-young lady of that since she's resided in this town far longer than I have!"

"Because that's not my job!" Chris snapped. "Nettie can deal with Casey. If you plan on riding with us, you'd best get your act together!"

"Yes, because you would take being called a bastard lying down," she muttered darkly.

Chris' gaze became livid, and she started to wish that she hadn't said anything, "What I'd do doesn't matter. What you did is not exceptable!"

"Because I'm a girl," Sara stated bluntly, forgetting that Chris seemed to be beyond his boiling point.

Chris managed to keep the worst of his temper under control, "Don't let that happen again. I don't care if you have to get beaten to a pulp, you don't need a reputation in this town when you've just gotten here." With that, he walked out of the side street and made a beeline for the tavern, noticing that JD was chasing after Casey, who seemed furious with her boyfriend.

Chris walked into the tavern and paused behind Ezra, who was now doing some card tricks for his own amusement, "You need to decide if you want your daughter to ride with us."

"Pardon?" Ezra turned around in his chair to face Chris.

Chris repeated what he'd said, adding on to it, "I'll support your decision as well."

"Well than," Ezra said, trying to get Chris to break his word, "I believe she should ride with us."

Chris grinned for a brief second, his cheek giving a throb as he did so, "Then she'll ride out with us tomorrow to see what trouble Gerard and the other settlers have been experiencing on their land."

Ezra was left speechless, realizing he'd gone right along with Chris' intentions.

Sara walked out of the side street and walked over to her horse, "Well, Gambler. I must say, I expected Mr. Larabee to tan my hide…it seems like someone might give a damn about us in this town…" Her horse, Gambler, snorted in response, before he set his teeth on the bay's withers, just as the bay did the same to him once again. "And you've found a friend," she said, with a smile, before she made her way towards the tavern.

She pushed her way through the doors, and was greeted by Vin, who tipped his hat to her.

Seeing as to how she wasn't very familiar with the other men that made up the seven lawman she sat at the table behind her father's chair, pulling out a deck of cards, and shuffling them absentmindedly, lost in her own thoughts.

Buck walked up to the bar next to Chris and saw the wound Chris was now sporting on his cheek, "What happened, Stud?"

"Ask her," Chris gestured vaguely at Sara.

Embarrassed now by her earlier behavior, she said, "Well…uh…Mr. Larabee's face was…um…merely in the wrong place at the wrong time!"

Buck looked at Chris for conformation, and when his long time friend nodded, he laughed, "See what happens when you interrupt a cat fight? Those two were going at it worse than a couple of cougars fighting over a hare!"

Chris didn't respond to that, while Josiah and Vin chuckled, thinking that an accurate description of the fight.

Buck's expression grew serious, "So what's the trouble that the settlers' are having?"

"Don't know," Chris answered. "Mary simply said that they were having trouble and wondered if we'd take a look."

"So she's speaking to you again?" Chris' look answered Buck's question. "So we're riding out tomorrow."

Chris nodded, "Until then you can still do what you want in town."

"Buck grinned, "Don't I always?"

Sara didn't glance back as her father said quietly to her, "Mr. Larabee has stated that you may ride with us. So you'd best be ready tomorrow."

"Of course, _Father_," she said.

Ezra flinched again, and Nathan asked, "Ezra, are you all right? You've been doing that a lot lately?"

"I'm fine, Mr. Jackson," Ezra answered, as Sara stood up and left the tavern once again.

Buck, hearing this said, "Nathan, it's nothing to worry about, see it all spouts from a simple word…" Buck made it look like he was going to go back to the bar, when he whipped right back around and said in Ezra's ear, "Father!" Ezra flinched and jumped, before he shoved Buck good-naturedly.

Outside, Sara was simply checking out the town, and noting the businesses that were in the town, when she heard a young voice shouting behind her, "Hey! Hey!"


	2. Blessing or Curse Part II

_**I do not own any of the Magnificent Seven characters, I just didn't want to see them sitting on a shelf collecting dust!**_

* * *

><p>A blond haired boy with a black, smushed looking hat, came running towards her, his jacket flapping a bit as he ran, still shouting, "Hey! Ezra!"<p>

Her eyes blazed with anger for a second, but the boy stopped and frowned, "You're not Ezra…but you sure are dressed as fancy as he is!" He smiled at her, "I'm Billy! I don't suppose you know any card tricks?"

She grinned, pulling out a deck of cards, "Why certainly I do, young man."

"Can you show my friends and I a couple of them! Ezra said he would, but I guess he forgot…" Billy said, looking a little crestfallen.

Sara smiled, "Well my young friend, you're in luck. I'm currently free and have nothing of importance that needs to be done, so lead the way so I can entertain you with some signature tricks of mine!"

"Great!" Billy said, grabbing her hand and pulling her towards a group of kids, "By the way, what's your name?"

"Sara," she answered.

Billy grinned, "I should have known you weren't Ezra, you're way too pretty."

Sara wasn't sure if she should be pleased or not, her expression laughable as Billy dragged her over to the kids, who were sitting in various positions near the railing of the broad walk, waiting for Billy to arrive with Ezra.

Billy released her hand and said to the disappointed group, "I couldn't find Ezra." There were several moans. "But I did find, Sara, and she said she could do some card tricks for us!" This lightened the mood considerably, though the kids all seemed a bit less enthused.

With a flourish, she easily pulled out the ace of spades, recognizing it by its roughened up bottom, "Now, I'm sure you're all well acquainted with this card my friends, the illustrious and ever bashful ace of spades." They all nodded, now wide eyed. "It takes a very talented person to be able to find this spectacular card, but it takes an even more talented person to call the card out of the deck."

One of the boys in the group asked, "How can you call it out of the deck?"

"Simply by calling to it, my young friend," she stated, handing him the deck, "If you would shuffle this deck for me, where the ace is currently on the top." The boy nodded and shuffled the cards several times; trying to make sure the ace was hidden within the confines of the deck.

He handed the deck back to her, and Sara started to feel for the ace of spades' roughened bottom, distracting the kid's from the movement of her finger along her deck, "You must understand that the ace of spades doesn't just come when called for just anybody, you need an intuition for the cards." Her index finger found the roughened edge and she brought the deck into the kids' view again, ever so slightly splitting the cards so the ace of spades would drop down a bit, this was hidden by her left hand. She grinned mischievously, "And there are those few that don't even need to call it at all…" With a jerk of her thumb, the ace of spades shot into the air, and she caught it easily, smiling as she displayed the card to the awed kids, who clapped, and asked for more tricks, and she obliged.

In the tavern, Ezra finished his shoving match with Buck, having managed to shove the taller man over the bar eventually. Sweating a bit, though he had a huge smile on his face, he glanced at his pocket watch, "I promised Billy and his young friends that I'd show them a few card tricks today."

Buck emerged from behind the bar, his hat askew, "I'm surprised the little whipper snapper hasn't come lookin' for ya, Ez."

"Indeed, Mr. Wilmington, I was already pondering the same thing," Ezra muttered as he made his way towards the doors.

Josiah stood up, "Well, there's a church roof that's not going to fix itself." He followed the gambler out of the tavern, nearly running into him.

"What's gotten into you, Ezra?" Josiah questioned, before he found the source of Ezra's surprise. He grinned, "Well that explains why he didn't come looking for you!"

"Indeed," Ezra said, smiling slightly as well, before he got a hold of himself, "Yes. Well, they seem to be entertained, so I'm going to start up a game of chance."

Josiah just grinned as Ezra walked back into the tavern, before he headed towards the church, determined to get a bit of the roof done before they left to help Gerard and the other settlers.

At the _Clarion_, Mrs. Travis glanced out the window and frowned, muttering as she made her way towards the door, "What is Billy doing with a girl like that? She's not someone I want him to be around." Once she was close enough, she called out, "Billy!"

Billy turned away from the card trick that Sara was showing him and the other children; he sulked as he saw her expression, "But, Mom!"

"Come on, Billy," Mrs. Travis insisted, giving him her sternest stare.

Reluctantly, Billy went over to his mother, who said to the other children, "You all should go home as well." They all went, not wanting to anger Mrs. Travis.

Sara caught the glare that Mrs. Travis shot her as she put her deck away, and started to head towards her horse, once again. When she was safely out of sight of anybody, she pressed her head against Gambler's shoulder, "And then there's always the one person who doesn't like a con artist." Gambler swung his head around to look at her, nudging her, wanting a treat. She pushed his head away, "I don't have anything for you at the moment." Gambler turned away from her, instead sniffing at the buckskin to his left, apparently wanting to get acquainted. The buckskin was sound asleep.

With a sigh, Sara patted her horse's shoulder, "Guess I should continue to investigate the town…" She walked down the board walk in the opposite direction, heading in the direction of a church.

Up on the roof of the church, Josiah was looking up at the sky, "Come on, Lord, I've asked you to lend us a hand for when we go to help out Gerard. I've had a bad feeling about that we'll lose someone there if you don't lend us a hand. So give me a sign if you've already sent some help!"

Sara stared up at the preacher in surprise, remembering him from the tavern. She hadn't caught his name, and had only caught half of his conversation, "Hello?"

Josiah glanced up in surprise, before he glanced down at Ezra's daughter and then back up at the sky, "Bet you thought that was funny!"

Sara didn't answer, assuming that he was talking to himself.

Josiah glanced down at her before he set to work on the roof once again, "The doors are always open to any troubled souls."

"I wouldn't want to ruin that roof of yours, preacher," Sara stated.

Josiah looked at her, "Why would the roof be ruined if you walked in here?"

"Lightning would come through to strike me," Sara stated.

Josiah laughed, "I doubt that, your father has been in here several times."

"I've done worse things than my father has, Mr…" She realized that she didn't know his name.

"Josiah Sanchez," Josiah said, giving her his full attention now.

Sara nodded, "Mr. Sanchez." She turned away then, heading towards the boarding house.

"Now what did she mean by that?" Josiah wondered aloud. He shrugged, before he went back to working on the roof.

* * *

><p>The next morning, as the seven lawmen and Ezra's daughter saddled up their horses, Mrs. Travis came up to Chris and said in a matter-of-fact tone, "We need to talk."<p>

Chris sighed, before he followed Mary away from the others, once they had a bit of privacy she cut right to the chase, "I don't think it's wise to take someone like her," she gestured at Sara, who was working on getting Gambler to take the bit in his mouth. "With you. She's a bad influence, and not what this town needs as apart of its law."

"She ain't apart of the law," Chris stated. "She's just coming along for the ride."

"You know what I mean," Mary said, testily.

Chris started to walk away from her, "Talk to Ezra, he's her father." With that said, he mounted his black horse, and motioned for the others to follow him.

Mary blinked in surprise, before she called out to Ezra as he turned his bay to follow the others, "Ezra!"

"Mrs. Travis?" Ezra tipped his hat to her, as he gazed at her quizically. "What can I help you with?"

"It's about your daughter," she stated, causing Ezra to frown. "Her type isn't accepted in this town well, and…"

Ezra cut her off, "I'm assuming that means you wish for me to depart as well?"

"No…I didn't mean," Mary stuttered, realizing her mistake.

Ezra tipped his hat to her, "Good day, Mrs. Travis." He spurred his bay after the others.

Sara was trailing at the rear, not wanting to be amongst any of the riders ahead of her. She muttered to her horse, "Figures you'd befriend my father's horse, you traitor." Gambler paid her no heed, neighing as his new, bay friend approached.

Ezra slowed his horse until his bay and his daughter's horse were trotting at the same pace. Silence spanned between the father and daughter for several minutes, but Ezra finally said, trying to force a smile onto his face, "My darling girl, you seem to be under the impression that I knew about you, and the truth of the matter is that I had no idea that you even existed until yesterday when I read my mother's enlightening letter."

The look his daughter shot him struck him to his core. It was one he had seen in the mirror many times before he had met Chris and the others, it was an expression that said she didn't trust anyone, much less him. "I highly doubt that, _Father._" Ezra flinched on the last word as Sara let her horse pick up speed to draw away from him.

Ezra rode at the back of the group, lost in his own thoughts as he considered the predicament he had been thrown into.

Sara slowed her horse down as he came up between Josiah and Nathan's horses.

Josiah glanced back at Ezra, but said nothing as he caught sight of the gambler's thoughtful expression. Nathan on the other hand glanced at Sara and said, noticing something on her neck, "What's that on your neck there?"

Sara quickly adjusted the collar on her jacket, concealing the pinkish, white mark that Nathan had spotted, "Nothing, that dress I wore yesterday just aggravated my skin, that's all." She let Gambler pick up speed again, shooting away from Nathan and Josiah.

"That wasn't no rash," Nathan stated. "I'd bet my money that she has a scar on her neck."

Josiah shrugged, "I'll have to take your word for it, Brother…but I'd bet your right. That girl is one troubled soul."

She rolled up the slack in the reins, and Gambler slowed for a brief second, until Sara realized that she was now between Vin and Buck, with JD being on Buck's right. Letting out a bit of rein again, Gambler shot forward to slow down beside Chris' horse.

Buck grinned as Sara kept her horse moving right on past them, "And here I was hoping she'd ride beside us!" JD rolled his eyes.

Sara wasn't sure if this was much better, especially considering what had transpired the day before, but Chris didn't say anything and she wasn't about to start a conversation either.

JD scowled as Sara rode next to Chris, "Who does she think she is riding up there?"

"She doesn't mean anything by it," Buck stated. "She just doesn't want to deal with the rest of us, ain't that right, Vin?" Buck was hoping to get some sort of reaction out of the bounty hunter.

Vin gave Buck a sly look, "I don't know, Bucklin, I think she just wanted to avoid you."

"I think she was avoidin' you," Buck said, enjoying the little game he had started.

JD muttered, "Bet she was tryin' to avoid both of you!" He hadn't counted on both of the men hearing him and shooting him semi-good natured glares.

* * *

><p>That night, the seven plus Ezra's daughter, sat around a fire, resting from the day's ride. Ezra and Sara sat as far away from each other as possible, staying on opposite sides of the fire. Ezra sat between Nathan and Josiah, much to Nathan's disbelief, while Sara sat between Vin and JD, keeping JD between herself and Buck. While Chris sat between Vin and Nathan, not exactly sure how the seating arrangement had been decided.<p>

Ezra muttered to Josiah, "I still don't see how she's a blessing…I believe she's just one gigantic problem."

Josiah glanced at him, "Every child's a blessing in some way, Ezra. You can't expect them to show themselves right away."

"The child or the blessing?" Ezra inquired.

Josiah grinned, "The blessing, but in your case, the child too."

Ezra rolled his eyes, but kept quiet, obviously brooding on the dilemma that was his daughter.

Sara, meanwhile, was lost in her own thoughts, but was brought out of them as Buck said, forward so he could look at her, "I would mind taking a pretty filly like you for a moonlit stroll."

Vin glared at Buck, making the older man grin mischievously. JD sighed, wishing he had chosen to sit somewhere else.

Sara said in a quiet, but deadly voice, "I suggest you stop your advances, Mr. Wilmington, otherwise you'll sorely regret it."

"Woohee!" Buck exclaimed, slapping his hat onto his knee. "A fiery, little filly at that."

Sara rolled her eyes, muttering, "I'm starting to wish that I had remained with the horses. They're quiet at least." Buck chuckled, not in the least bit detoured either by her threat or her mutterings.

"Hellion would be more accurate," Ezra mused, after Buck's comment. Luckily Josiah missed Ezra's comment, but Nathan didn't.

"Be glad that she's not any worse than she is," Nathan stated.

Ezra gazed skeptically at the healer, "Then, pray tell, how could she possibly be any worse?"

"She could have shot you once she saw you," Nathan stated, after a few seconds contemplation.

"She hasn't ruled it out yet," Ezra muttered, accidentally catching his daughter's eye.

Sara asked from across the fire, "Anything wrong, _Father_?" Ezra flinched.

"I think you're developing a tick, Ezra," Nathan stated.

Ezra sighed, "I'm developing no such thing…"

Idle chit chat went on amongst the other members of the seven after that, minus Ezra, who was lost in thought. His daughter, had wandered over to her horse, long ago, stroking the animal and staring off into the distance, lost in her own thoughts as well.

Chris ended all conversation, "If we're going to reach the settlement by morning, we need to call it a night." No one argued with the gun slinger.

* * *

><p>By the afternoon of the next day, the settlement was in sight with its finished houses and half-started buildings, along with obvious fields of plants, and even a few farm animals, though mainly cattle.<p>

A rider started to head towards them at a gallop, though the seven soon saw that the rider's intentions were to catch a runaway bovine. Chris, not one for herding cattle, none the less started to head his horse, Justice, to cut off the bovine, but a flash of a golden coat, left him momentarily stunned as it shot past him.

JD scowled as Gambler and Sara shot forward, intercepting the bovine, Gambler's head low to the ground as he started to steer the bovine back towards the settlement.

"Show off," JD grumbled, as the bovine started to head back to the settlement the other rider hot on its heels. Sara managing to keep a prancing Gambler in one place.

Buck shook his head, "Boy, if you had keener eyes, you'd know that that horse of hers just ran away from her. It's the horse that has the cow sense, not her."

As if to prove Buck's point, as soon as the others caught up with Sara, they heard her muttering, "You had to choose NOW to show me up?" Gambler paid her no heed, merely champing at his bit and continuing to prance, since the rogue bovine was still in sight.

JD, pleased to have something to go on, sneered as he rode up to her, "Can't control your own horse?" The look Sara shot him would have easily put lesser men who had not experienced the Larabee glare six feet under, but since JD had experienced the glare, he managed to live.

Chris rode up next to her, his gaze saying that he wasn't in the least bit pleased, "Thought you had control of that animal?"

"It's a mutual respect," Sara muttered, casting her eyes downward. "He sometimes reminds me that he's the more powerful between us."

JD said smugly, "That horse of yours obviously requires a man's hand on his reins."

"This horse wouldn't tolerate a man on his back, since his previous owner, a _**man**_, decided that since Gambler wouldn't obey him, he'd force the horse to do so by any means necessary." Her gaze was livid. "He was far worse than this when I bought him."

JD was now curious, "What'd the he do to him?"

"Too many foul things to mention," Sara murmured, stroking her horse's neck.

Chris glanced at the girl and her horse, "Don't let him get away from you again."

"I guarantee nothing, Mr. Larabee," Sara stated.

He rolled his eyes, before he led the way towards the settlement. Buck came up behind him followed by JD, Ezra, Nathan, and Josiah.

Vin stayed behind as Sara kept Gambler at the back of the group. Casting a glance her way, Vin asked, "So, where'd he get his cow sense from?"

"He's a Thoroughbred/Quarter Horse mix," Sara stated, raising her head up, as if she expected Vin to scoff at her and her horse.

"That explains where he got his conformation from," Vin stated. "And don't worry about him being a crossbred, I've ridden quite a few in my time. I kind of miss them over this ornery cuss."

"You all ride purebred Quarter Horses," Sara stated, giving a quick glance at all of their horses, "Apart from Mr. Jackson, who is riding the same type of horse as mine, but one that does not have a conformation like Gambler's though."

Vin grinned, "You sure know your horses."

"I had to Mr. Tanner, what with all the…" She broke off than, paling a bit, like she'd said too much.

Vin smiled slightly at her, "You don't have to talk about your past if you don't want. Hell, I've had a pretty bad past myself."

His kindness was rewarded with a small smile from Sara, a true smile that resembled her father's own gold toothed smile, minus the gold tooth, "Your kindness is greatly appreciated, Mr. Tanner."

Vin grinned, thinking the conversation would continue, when her horse shot forward, catching up with the others, leaving a stunned Vin behind.

Buck glanced back, sensing a possible victory, and he grinned as he spotted Sara riding next to Josiah, having left a befuddled Vin in the dust. "I've still got a chance!" He said happily.

"Buck," Chris cautioned. "I think this is the one time, you shouldn't try anything."

"But animal-magnetism is at work!" Buck protested.

"With her?" Nathan exclaimed. "I think you need to fine tune your animal-magnetism! She has no interest in you whatsoever."

Buck was grinning from ear to ear, "But apparently she has no interest in Vin either!"

Ezra chimed in just than, "I don't care who she has an interest in, just know you'll have to go through me eventually, if you want to even attempt to court her."

"Why, Ezra, I didn't know you were the fatherly type!" Buck said mischievously.

"Of course I have to show some interest," Ezra commented. "Especially with you around."

Buck laughed, "And here I didn't think you cared about that girl's well being!"

"I don't," Ezra stated. "But I have to start practicing a front so people will believe that I do."

Buck rolled his eyes, while Chris glanced back at Ezra, an unreadable expression on his face. Nathan was the only one to voice his opinion, "You know, if you tried to show the girl that you cared, she'd might like you a bit more!"

"I don't think there's a force on Earth that could cause that child to like me, much less me showing any sort of affection towards her," Ezra stated bluntly. This caused Chris to glance back at the gambler again, but this time his expression was perfectly clear…he wasn't pleased with what the con man was saying at all.

Before Chris could say anything, he was distracted when he heard his name being called from up ahead. Gerard was standing in their path, waiting for the riders, along with Will Richmond and his wife, and Jack's widow.

Chris and the others didn't say anything to the settlers until they were within a few feet of them. Chris cut right to the chase, "What's the problem?"

Gerard chuckled, while Will scowled at Vin, his wife, Charlotte, avoiding the tracker's gaze, "Always getting right to the point…" Chris waited for him to continue. "Ever since several families here have found gold, we've been having trouble with a group of outlaws."

"How many outlaws?" Chris questioned.

"About fifteen," Will answered, still glowering at Vin, who wasn't even looking at Charlotte.

Buck grinned, "Shoot, fifteen ain't nothin' we can't handle!"

"We'll have those outlaws sorted out in no time!" JD agreed. Neither, Gerard, Will, Charlotte, or Jack's widow looked so certain.

Chris didn't add anything to what Buck or JD said, instead, he asked, "When do they usually show up here?"

"It varies from day to day," Gerard explained. "We never know when they're going to come here, scaring our livestock, and causing destruction throughout our small town."

JD looked crestfallen, "Maybe this won't be so easy…"

"Any idea where they come from?" Vin asked, knowing the outlaws had to have some sort of spot that they went to after the raids.

Gerard shook his head, "No. We're all in such shock afterwards that we've never noticed which direction they leave in, and they never arrive from the same direction, either."

"Sounds like you've really had your hands full," Josiah commented.

Gerard focused on Chris, "So will you help?"

Chris glanced at the others, and saw that they were willing to stay and help the settlers, "Yeah."

Gerard looked relieved, while Will looked furious, "I don't want him coming anywhere near my property!" He pointed at Vin.

"Don't worry, I won't," Vin stated. Will didn't look satisfied, but he couldn't say anything more on the subject.

"We don't have any lodgings currently available for all of you…" Gerard looked embarrassed as he said this. "We can provide your meals though."

Chris didn't say anything to that; he just glanced back at the others, "Let's find a place to make camp."

He led the way, and the others followed, all starting to think of ways to catch/foil the outlaws when they next came to the settlement.

Josiah was riding in the middle of the group, when he heard a familiar voice call out, "Oh, Josiah!"

"Lord give me strength," he muttered.

Sara, who was riding on his right, her horse slightly in front of his, glanced at the preacher in surprise, wondering what could have provoked such a response out of the preacher.

A woman, dressed in all black, eagerly approached Josiah, with a chubby, unhappy little boy following her.

"Oh good, Lord," Ezra muttered, rolling his eyes, as he spurred his horse to move away from Josiah and the approaching widow.

Buck chuckled, from his position next to Chris, "And it starts again!"

"Josiah, I'm so glad you've come back," the widow said, obviously smitten with him. "I take it this means that you can stay with us now?"

"No, ma'am," Josiah answered, relaxing a bit. "I'm just here as long as the settlement's in trouble. Then I go back to living off the land, eating whatever I can find on the gr-…" The widow quickly shepherded her son away, missing Josiah's grin.

Nathan grinned as well from his position behind Sara on Josiah's right. Sara just shook her head, a small smile on her face.

* * *

><p>Once they had established a camp on the outskirt of the settlement, Sara led her horse through the settlement, exploring the area. It was a mixture of cabins, wagons, and half-finished buildings, along with several fields with half grown crops.<p>

Buck followed Sara stealthily, or so he thought, moving from building to wagon with a high stepping run, and peeking around the corners to make sure he didn't lose sight of her.

They were near the other side of settlement, all the rest of the seven were still at the camp. As Sara led her horse around the side of a wagon, she called out, "Mr. Wilmington, I highly suggest that you desist your current course of action, or else I guarantee that you'll regret it."

Buck waited for several seconds, before he went around the side of the wagon. He froze as he was greeted by Sara mounted on Gambler, a lariat hanging just on the horse's right, ready for use. "I warned you Mr. Wilmington!" She started to swing the rope through the air, creating a loop. "Hyaah!" She let Gambler take off at a full gallop.

"Oh shoot!" He whipped around and started to run, hearing the pounding of hooves behind him. Buck started to shout in panic as he heard the hooves get closer and the whistling of the rope stop as it was thrown.

* * *

><p>Chris whipped around from what he was doing as he heard Buck's shout. JD ran up to him, "Something's wrong with Buck! Maybe it's those outlaws!"<p>

Ezra frowned as he approached, also worried about the lanky gunmen, "I believe, Mr. Dunne, that if the outlaws were here, we'd have heard the distinct sounds of their pistols firing."

"Maybe they snuck up on him," JD suggested.

Chris finally said, "Either way, we're going to go check." He led the way at decent clip the other five following him.

JD passed Chris as they heard the sounds of something grunting and groaning apparently, in a struggle. He went around the wagon first, before he grinned at the sight at greeted him and called out, "Boys! You're goin' to want to see this!"

All the rest of six came around the wagon and grinned at the sight that greeted them. Buck was hog tied on the ground, gagged, and hatless, his hat apparently having been blown away with the wind. He spotted the others and grunted at them, apparently wanting someone to remove the gag, but they were all too busy either grinning at the sight, or trying to contain their laughter.

JD finally got the gag off Buck, laughing as he asked, "So what happened, Buck?"

"Dang hellion," Buck shouted. "Roping me, and than gagging me!"

Ezra snorted his contained laughter escaping for a brief second, "Are you trying to tell us that my 'pretty filly' of a daughter managed to hog tie a Casanova of animal-magnetism?"

"No it's maggotism now!" JD chuckled.

Buck glared at JD, "Ha! Ha! Very funny both of you!"

Nathan was even grinning, "Buck, this is just like with Inez, now take the hint, nunca!"

"There ain't a woman alive that can resist Buck Wilmington for long!" Buck amended, "But there may be one hellion of a girl." He looked around, "Now where did she go? I figured she'd be gloatin' over her victory?"

"She's not you, Buck," Chris stated.

Josiah said, "Amen to that!"

Buck glanced at Vin, "And why are you so silent?"

"Cause, I've been too busy laughin' at ya," Vin stated, grinning foolishly. "I just caught my breath!"

Buck glowered at him, while Chris said, "We should find where she went, or else she might cause more havoc."

"Naw," Vin said, still grinning, "She already took it out on Buck!"

Chris rolled his eyes, while Buck took a playful swing a Vin, and Ezra followed Chris, apparently trying to work on his charade of being the anxious father.

After reassuring several settlers that they were not under attack from the outlaws, Chris headed straight towards the camp, not once taking a detour.

"Uh, Mr. Larabee," Ezra said, confused by Chris' method of searching. "Surely we should be searching in other areas before heading back to our camp?"

Chris didn't' answer him, merely continuing on his path. He stopped as he reached the camp and glanced back at Ezra. Ezra sighed, seeing what Chris had seen. His daughter was sitting on the ground, her back against her saddle, her face upturned towards the sky, with Buck's hat covering her face. Her own hat rested on her right.

As they came nearer, she tipped Buck's hat away from her face and glanced at them, a mischievous gleam in her eyes, "So, pray tell, what caused Mr. Wilmington to cause such a ruckus?"

"Like you don't know?" Buck said, snatching his hat away, while Sara continued to grin, as she grabbed her own hat.

Her grin quickly faded as she caught Chris' look. It was one that said she'd better spot the shenanigans or he'd kick her butt from the settlement to kingdom come. His voice indicated the same thing as he said, "Don't pull anymore stunts like that while we're here. Especially since we don't know when those outlaws will get here."

Vin glanced at Ezra, grinning, "Ezra, you should have ticked off your mother sooner, I think Chris has said more in one day to her, than to anybody else in ten years!" This set all of them laughing, apart from Chris and Sara, who were still trying to size the other up.

The laughing stopped instantly as a gun shot sounded from the other end of town, setting them all in motion as they all headed towards there horses, some still saddled, a couple not.

Sara was one of those who didn't have her horse saddled, along with JD, she grabbed her horse's reins from the ground, since her horse had been ground tied, and slapped his hindquarters to get Gambler going. Gambler trotted, and Sara took a few hopping steps, before she flung herself onto his back, getting her right leg over his back and sending him after the other seven, JD was right next to her, having mounted in a similar method.

Chris, Vin, and Buck were in the lead, as they got nearer and nearer to the sounds of guns being fired, and they un-holstered their own guns, and came upon the outlaws. Taking aim, Chris fired the first shot, barely missing one of the outlaws, but with that shot, the outlaws now knew that the gunslingers were there.

Instead of fleeing, the outlaws simply changed their targets: instead of trying to terrify the settlers, they were no hell bent on gunning down the gunslingers.

Steering their horses out of range of the bullets, all of the seven found cover and started to take aim at the outlaws, each gritting their teeth in frustration as their shots just missed.

Vin took careful aim down his rifle, having missed several of his shots, due to how much the outlaws horses moved. He pulled the trigger and the bullet found its mark, though it wasn't a fatal wound, but it was enough to set the outlaws running out of town, apparently not so brave now that one of their own was injured.

Chris exchanged a look with Vin, who nodded, and mounted Peso, waiting until the outlaws were just specks in the distance, before he set off after them, tracking them to see where they went after they terrorized the settlers.

JD commented as he led his horse out from the cover he had taken, "That's the shortest gunfight we've been in!"

"Yellow bellied cowards!" Buck grumbled, stepping out of his cover, his horse following, even though Buck wasn't holding the reins, "Taking off once they realized we had the upper hand!"

Nathan led his bay away from the side of a wagon, "I'm honestly glad they fled, we were taken completely off guard!"

"Next time that won't happen," Ezra commented, stepping out from behind a cabin, his own bay in tow. "I imagine that Mr. Larabee already has a plan forming in his head."

Chris didn't say anything as Josiah led his chestnut out from behind a half-finished building, "That could have gone badly if Vin hadn't gotten that shot in."

Sara was the last one to appear, coming out from behind a wagon, leading her horse, "So what's the plan once Mr. Tanner comes back?"

With a quick glance at them all to make sure none of them were hurt, Chris opened his mouth to explain his plan when Will shouted, angrily at them, "What the hell was that? They walked all over you lot! You weren't even near this side of the settlement when they arrived!"

"We had our things to deal with," Chris explained, not even glancing at Sara or Buck.

Will shot a glare towards Sara, "Why'd you even bring her here if she just causes trouble?"

Sara opened her mouth to say something, but a warning glare from Chris, made her bite back any retort she would have made. "We would have been off guard either way," Chris stated. "Our camp is on the other side of the settlement, and we can't be everywhere at once. Next time, those outlaws won't get off so easily."

Will glared at Chris, but just than Gerard walked up to him, "I hope you have a plan to get rid of them. They've made it clear to us they won't stop these raids until we leave."

"Don't worry," Chris said. "We'll get rid of them." He started to head back to the camp, leading Justice behind him, the others following him.

Buck muttered, glaring back at Will, "He's more ornery than a mule sitting a cactus!"

"That's not the words I'd use to describe him, Mr. Wilmington," Sara murmured. No one added any other comment to her statement.

Once they were at the camp, Buck paced around, waiting for Vin to return so they could get back at the outlaws.

JD asked as Buck made another lap, "Buck? What are you so anxious about?"

"If Vin doesn't come back soon, we won't get another shot at those bandits today!" Buck exclaimed. "And I'm itching for some payback!"

Ezra was doing some card tricks to amuse himself, "Mr. Wilmington, regardless of when Mr. Tanner returns, there's no doubt that those outlaws will regret terrorizing this town."

"We still haven't heard the plan," Nathan glanced at Chris, who was checking Justice over, making sure the horse was sound.

Chris didn't say anything to Nathan's comment, merely continuing his examination of his horse.

Buck grumbled, "I don't care that we don't know the plan yet! I just want to get back at those cowards before tomorrow!"

"It all depends on when Vin gets back though," JD stated.

Ezra glanced at his daughter, noting that she was checking the tack on her horse. He turned as he heard the sound of an approaching rider, "Speak of the devil!"

Vin slowed his horse, and dismounted easily, "They're not far from here, just a little town up a ways, they didn't even bother to try and hide where they were going."

"You sure that's where they stopped?" Chris insisted, looking between Vin and Sara.

Vin nodded, "Positive. They were heading into the local saloon when I left them."

Chris relaxed a bit, and JD asked eagerly, "So what's the plan?"

"We're going to lure them here," Chris stated. "We'll evacuate a part of the settlement so none of them are hurt."

"How are we going to lure them here?" Josiah questioned.

Chris had that part figured out as well, "Someone's going to go to the town and give them a reason to come here…"

"I see you'll be needing my expertise," Ezra said, putting the cards he had been fiddling with, away.

Sara turned away from her horse, "If I may be so bold as to say, that perhaps I should go?" All of the seven turned to look at her. "No offense, but you all are quite well known in the area, so wouldn't it be more prudent if I went and gave the outlaws a reason to come here? They aren't familiar with me, after all."

Chris glanced from father to daughter, but it was Josiah that said, "She's got a point, Chris."

"Sara will go to the town then," Chris stated, "The rest of us shall clear out this part of the settlement."

JD looked around, before he muttered, "Not many people to evacuate."

"All the better, boy," Buck said, slapping his shoulder.

Glancing at the sun, Chris turned to Sara, "Get going now, so we're not having a shoot out in the dark."

Sara nodded, before she mounted, and exchanged a few quick words with Vin, obviously about where the town was. Ezra, however, frowned, "Wait."

Sara had Gambler stop, having been about to give the horse his head, Gambler arched his neck, champing the bit, obviously not happy.

"Do you even know what the distinguishing characteristics of those outlaws was?" Ezra inquired.

She nodded, "I'm insulted, _Father…_" Ezra flinched again. "That you don't have more faith in me, I wouldn't volunteer to go if I didn't remember what those scoundrels looked like." With that said, she gave her horse his head, and Ezra had to take a quick step back as Gambler shot forward at a gallop.

* * *

><p>She made good time as she entered the town, Gambler now trotting, his neck arched once again as he fought the bit. Dismounting, she tied the reins loosely around the hitching post, and stroked his nose, "We'll be back on the move in no time, and you can run as much as you want…just don't undo those reins…I don't want to be caught cheating without having an escape." With that said, she walked into the saloon, and easily spotted the fifteen outlaws, including the one Vin had shot. They were playing a card game amongst themselves and Sara put on her most endearing smile, "Gentlemen!" She said as she walked up to their table, "Would you mind if I joined you?"<p>

* * *

><p>JD complained to Buck from behind a small covered wagon, "Where the blazes is she?"<p>

"She'll be here anytime now, JD," Buck said, having calmed down from earlier. "I'm sure she's riding here now, those outlaws on her tail." JD didn't look reassured.

Ezra was behind a half-finished building, and commented to Vin, who was just across the way, "I hope she has the subtlety to get those outlaws to come here, we don't need to be sitting here all night."

"I'm sure she'll get them here in time, Ezra," Vin stated, keeping his eyes on where the outlaws where supposed to come from.

Behind a cabin, Nathan asked Josiah, "You didn't see any crows, did you?"

Josiah shook his head, "But sometimes you don't need omens, just a bad feeling, which is exactly what I have." Nathan didn't look pleased to hear that news.

"Here they come," Vin stated, seeing a cloud of dust in the distance, but hearing no gun shots, which is what they were all expecting to hear. Chris, crouching behind a wagon, strained his ears for the sound.

Within minutes, Gambler slid to a halt, and Sara dismounted, slapping his hindquarters to get him moving again, before she ducked behind the nearest wagon, nearly colliding with JD.

"Why didn't you have them right on your tail?" JD demanded.

Sara gave him another deadly glare, "Right, I'm just going to let them catch up with me so that they can fire shots at my horse and I after I obviously cheated in a game of chance! Oh, yes, I see the appeal already!" She pulled out her colt, "Don't worry, they'll be here in a second or two."

Sure enough the outlaws rode in, passing JD, Buck, and Sara's hiding spot first, and all three of them fired at the outlaws, startling the group of fifteen, as the others opened fire as well. Once again, the outlaws were hard to hit, due to how skittish their horses were, but that also meant that their aim was compromised as well.

Buck swore as he hit JD once again as he attempted to duck back around the wagon corner.

Sara didn't like the arrangement either, the small wagon wasn't meant to hide three people. Reloading her colt, she took a deep breath, before she moved out from cover, shooting as she moved towards the nearest cover, another covered wagon. Her movement drew the outlaws' attention, and they focused on her, which was the demise of a couple of them.

When Sara moved, Vin was startled at first, but took aim at one of the outlaws, who's horse was now stock still and fired, hitting the outlaw with deadly accuracy. He ducked behind the building again as someone fired at him.

Nathan and Josiah both stared in surprise as Sara left her cover, but they could understand the reasoning, remembering that Buck and JD were also hiding behind the small wagon. Nathan and Josiah both focused on two different riders near them and fired, each hitting their target, the riders falling seconds after Vin managed to hit his own target. Three of the outlaws were down, but their was still twelve to go.

Sara dove behind a covered wagon, and reloaded her colt once again, ticked that she hadn't been able to get in a decent shot in. She jumped when Chris shouted to her, to be heard over the gun fire, "Keep an eye on your side, these guys are getting bolder!" Glancing around the wagon, she noticed what he meant, as an outlaw approached, having dismounted, and upon spotting her, fired, knocking her hat off her head.

"Shit," she muttered, before she glanced around the corner of the wagon again and was about to pull the trigger, when Chris fired his own gun, hitting the outlaw in the chest, before he focused on another outlaw.

The others were having trouble as well, since the outlaws' horses, not wanting to be separated from each other, were dashing about, blocking the outlaws from sight sometimes, and other times protecting them from any shots the seven and Sara fired.

Buck swore again as he had to duck behind the wagon, he had to reload and he knew that there was an outlaw approaching, keeping his mount between him and Buck's bullets.

JD moved cautiously around the corner of the wagon, and spotted the outlaw that Buck was having trouble with. Concentrating, he fired, hitting the guy in the chest. JD quickly dived back behind the wagon a different outlaw fired at him, taking a chunk off of the wagon's corner.

Ezra and Vin were both having a rough time, as four outlaws were keeping the pair pinned down with a cascade of bullets. Whenever one outlaw ran out of bullets and had to reload, the other would start firing his own six bullets.

Vin muttered, "Shit!" As he had to slam against the wall of the building to avoid getting hit; he took the time he had to reload, before he glanced around the corner of the building, before he fired off a quick shot, barely missing one of the outlaws. Ducking around the corner again, he waited out the shots, firing off a couple to keep the two outlaws that were focusing on him from getting any closer.

Ezra was in the same predicament as Vin, but where Vin was managing to keep the outlaws from advancing on him, Ezra had to dive into the half-finished building to keep from getting shot. As one of the outlaws started to enter, Ezra pulled the trigger on his pistol, and swore as he realized he was out of bullets. The outlaw grinned at him, as he took aim, but he never got to fire another shot, since Ezra swung down his right arm, and his Derringer slid into his hand. With reflexes that would make a cat jealous, he pulled the trigger, and the outlaw fell. He dove outside of the building as the second outlaw fired at him.

Vin kept his cool as he fired shots at the outlaws, keeping them from advancing any closer to his hiding spot. The outlaws, on the other hand, were growing frustrated, their shots getting wilder and starting to come no where near Vin. Vin decided that he'd bide his time.

Nathan and Josiah were finding it easy to deal with the one, mounted outlaw that was trying to get a shot at them. Josiah and Nathan were both behind the cabin and nodded at each other, before Josiah moved around the corner and fired at the outlaw, drawing his attention. Ducking behind the corner again, Nathan fired a shot at the outlaw, and as the outlaw turned to look at Nathan, Josiah fired, knocking the man off his horse.

Buck and JD were trying to assist Sara and Chris, who had two outlaws covering them, and who were keeping two of the loose horses between them and the pair's bullets. Buck focused on the closest outlaw, while JD reloaded. The outlaw's horse was tugging at its reins, trying to get loose, and Buck waited for his opportunity to come. It did, in the form of a split second, when the horse reared, jerking quite a bit of rein from the outlaw's hands. Pulling the trigger, Buck's aim was deadly, hitting the outlaw in the chest.

Sara saw the outlaw fall, and went behind the wagon again, trying to reload so she could assist Chris. She kept glancing Chris' way as Chris reloaded as well. A tip of a gun appeared around the corner, seconds before the outlaw's face. Swinging down her right arm, she took aim with her Derringer, since her colt wasn't reloaded. She fired, surprising Chris, who glanced at the, now dead, outlaw.

He didn't say anything, instead he finished reloading, and moved from behind the wagon, motioning for her to follow. The sounds of gun fire were now closer to Vin and Ezra, and none of their weapons could fire the distance that Vin's mare's leg could. Buck, JD, Nathan, and Josiah, followed Chris and Sara, realizing that their opponents were now a bit farther away.

Vin grinned as the outlaws shots grew wilder and wilder, while he only had to fire a shot or two just to keep them back. He glanced around the building and fired, his aim was dead on, felling one of the outlaws. Vin had to duck behind the building again as the second outlaw fired at him.

"I got myself into quite a predicament," Ezra muttered, breathing heavily. His Derringer only had one bullet left in it, and his pistol had yet to be reloaded, not that he had the time to reload it either, as the outlaw fired at him, usually forcing him to move to a some-what safer location. Ezra glanced around the corner, and took aim with his Derringer, and fired, just at the same time as the outlaw; he swore as pain shot through his shoulder, and he placed his left hand firmly over his shoulder as he felt blood start to trickle down his arm. Apparently, the outlaw was out of bullets, since he came around the corner of the half-finished building, and punched the gambler, knocking the injured con man to the ground, onto his injured shoulder, causing him to grunt in pain.

The two outlaws were unaware of the approach of Chris and the others. Vin, noting that the outlaw had stopped firing, and was apparently reloading, made to move around the corner to fire.

Chris, who had a better view, noticed that the outlaw was merely waiting for whoever was behind the building to show themselves; taking aim he fired, the outlaw cried out before he hit the ground.

Sara's attention, however, was drawn somewhere else, where she could see an outlaw towering over someone, who's features were hidden by the shadow of the building. Taking quick aim, she fired her Derringer, and the outlaw fell. Nathan had followed her gaze, and before the outlaw had even hit the ground, was running towards whoever was lying on the ground.

Vin came out from behind the half-finished building and grinned at Chris, "Thanks for the help, Cowboy."

Nathan's shout startled them, "Get my kit! Ezra's been hit!" JD made his way towards where the other horses were to get Nathan's kit.

* * *

><p>Later that evening, Ezra, Buck, Josiah, Nathan, and JD were sitting around a fire, passing a bottle of spirits between them all. Nathan commented as he redressed Ezra's shoulder, "It's a good thing Sara shot that outlaw."<p>

JD nodded, "I didn't even know you and that outlaw were there, Ezra, until she shot him."

"Truly a God send," Josiah said, looking up at the sky. "You asked me to tell you when she was a blessing, Ezra, and low and behold, she's shown that she is."

Buck grinned, "Face it, Ezra, you can't argue that you don't feel even a little affection for her now!"

"Mr. Wilmington," Ezra said, after taking a swig from the bottle. "I strongly believe that if my daughter had known that I was the one lying on the ground, she would have let that outlaw put another bullet in me…"

JD frowned, "Why do you say that?"

"I was in the shadow of the building, Mr. Dunne," Ezra stated. "Had Mr. Tanner perhaps been a bit more visible, I don't think she would have been so willing to shoot that outlaw."

"Ezra, you'd be surprised at what people would do for each other," Josiah commented. The gambler glanced at him, but he didn't say anything, merely taking another swig from the bottle before passing it on.

A little ways away from the fire, Vin was checking over the horses, making sure that they were all sound for the trip back home, whenever that would be. They wouldn't be leaving the settlement until Nathan declared that Ezra was fit to ride. He listened in silence to the conversation, keeping his opinions to himself. He hadn't told anyone that Sara's horse, Gambler, wasn't among the other horses.

* * *

><p>Chris sat alone, away from the group on the other side of town, lost in his thoughts. He turned as he heard the sound of hooves, and spotted a palomino horse and rider. The horse slowed as it got nearer and the rider dismounted, setting the reins on the ground, ground tying the horse.<p>

Nothing was said as Sara joined Chris, both lost in their own thoughts, barely aware of the other. It could have been only a few seconds, or many minutes, but Chris said to her, "You did good, today."

"I really wish you wouldn't say that, Mr. Larabee," Sara said quietly, not all in her usual tone of voice. Chris glanced at her, but he didn't prod her for details. She gave him them willing, "There's a part of me that wishes I hadn't shot that outlaw…" Chris' eyes blazed with anger, and he was about to snap at her, when he noticed how she was sitting, her knees drawn up to her chest, and her arms on her knees, her head resting on her arms. He was surprised at how young she looked than, but she had said that she was seventeen, still young enough to be considered a kid. "The only reason I shot at that outlaw was because I thought that it was Mr. Tanner on the ground…I wish it had been him, or anybody else…"

Chris gazed at her, surprised that she had told him, of all the seven, what she was feeling, "Ezra's not that bad a guy, once you get used to his faults." He could see her eyes blaze, but she didn't interrupt him, "You should give him a chance to prove himself." She gave him a skeptical look, "Ezra said he didn't know about you."

"That's not what Maude said," Sara muttered. Chris waited for her to say more, and he wasn't disappointed, "I don't know who to believe or trust…it feels like a game of chance, but with worse odds of winning." Chris saw the gleam of tears in her eyes, though none fell.

"Guess you and Ezra both have a chance to keep playing than," Chris stated.

Sara didn't nod or say anything, she just grabbed her horse's reins and mounted, heading back towards the camp.

* * *

><p>Ezra glanced up from trying to shuffle his deck of cards one handed as his daughter rode in, he noticed that Vin glanced up as well, though the tracker remained where he was, at his new spot between Buck and Nathan. He turned as he heard Josiah mutter as Sara unsaddled her horse and ground tied him again, "Truly a blessing in disguise." Ezra couldn't help smiling a bit as he shook his head back and forth, obviously not sure if Josiah was right or not still.<p>

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><p><strong>Thanks for the reviews, and I hope you enjoy this chapter, feel free to vote on the poll on my profile as well for which story I should do next!<strong>


	3. Substitute

_**I do not own any of the Magnificent Seven characters, I just didn't want to see them sitting on a shelf collecting dust!**_

* * *

><p>Ezra sighed as he sat at a table in the tavern, engaged in a game of chance with one other gentleman. He was forced to play fair since his shoulder hadn't healed yet, so he was playing cards one handed. Nathan sat nearby, shooting him nasty looks every now and then.<p>

As the man folded, running a hand through his blond hair as he left the table, leaving the pot for Ezra to take, Ezra said, "Mr. Jackson, I do believe I have apologized efficiently for disobeying you and riding before I was ready, while tricking Mr. Larabee and the others into believing I was well."

"No you haven't!" Nathan practically growled. "Not only did you do that, but your half-healed shoulder was put back to square one after your little stunt!"

"Can I help it that sitting around idly isn't something I'm particularly fond of?" Ezra questioned as he started to collect the pot. "Or that Ace decided that he wanted to act up, thus throwing me from the saddle?"

Nathan gave him a glare that said he thought the answer was yes.

Buck, who was sitting at a different table with JD, commented, "You could have always played a game of cards with your daughter, and that way Nate, wouldn't be mad at you now."

"Mr. Wilmington," Ezra said. "If you haven't noticed, my daughter and I have hardly said a word to each other since helping the settlers. Not to mention I'm still trying to figure out why Ace acted the way he did. He usually doesn't get excited unless Peso is near him, and I know that Mr. Tanner's horse was no where near him when he acted up."

"Yeah, but Sara's was," JD chimed in.

Ezra sighed, "I should have known…!" He finished collecting the pot, "Since we've been discussing my daughter, where is she exactly?"

Chris said from his usual position at the bar, "She went riding with Vin a little before you woke up."

"What?" Buck whirled around, his chair clattering to the floor. "How did he manage that? I've been trying to get her to ride with me for several days now!"

He didn't get an answer from Chris, who merely shrugged and focused on his drink once again.

Josiah, who had only just come into the tavern, said, "I think Vin said he'd teach her about tracking."

"Oh good Lord, he's corrupting her already?" Ezra muttered.

JD looked affronted, "He never offered to teach me how to track!"

Buck grabbed JD's hat and waved it in his face, grinning mischievously, "That's because you're always wearing this sissy hat, and Vin didn't want to be seen with ya!" JD managed to snatch back his hat. "Besides, Vin's more of a quiet guy, and well, JD, you're not."

"Thanks, Buck," JD muttered.

* * *

><p>Just outside of town, Vin and Sara were studying some tracks on the ground. After several seconds, Vin glanced at Sara and asked, "What kind of animal made these tracks?"<p>

"Mr. Tanner," Sara said, still studying the tracks. "You've shown me all sorts of tracks made by various creatures and I still have no idea what animal these belong to." She straightened up in her saddle, "All I know is that you've shown similar tracks to me."

"Take a guess," Vin said, straightening up in his saddle as well.

She frowned down at the tracks before she guessed, "Jack Rabbit?"

"Coyote, and it looks like she had pups with her too," Vin stated. "The tracks are a couple days old though, so she's probably out of the area by now." Vin smirked a bit as he saw Sara leaning over in her saddle once more as she studied the tracks, "Don't worry about not guessin' what type of tracks they were. I didn't become as good as I am in one day!" Sara straightened up in her saddle once more, "Come on, let's see what other tracks we can find!" With that, he spurred Peso into a gallop, and he could hear Gambler's hooves sounding behind him as the palomino found his stride.

* * *

><p>A stagecoach came to a halt in town, drawing the attention of the six men in the bar. JD was the first one to make it over to the window, and he said, frowning slightly as a portly man dressed completely in black from his hat to his boots, apart from his shirt, which was white, "What's the judge doing here?"<p>

Buck was the next one to make it over to the window, "Not sure, JD, but he sure looks like he's hear on business."

The judge made his way over to the tavern, greeting an excited Billy on the way. Pushing through the swinging doors he spotted the six men, "I figured I'd find you in hear." He glanced around, his gaze pausing on Ezra and his sling, before he focused on Chris, "And where is Mr. Tanner?"

"Out havin' some fun," Buck answered, grinning.

The judge didn't notice Buck's grin, "You'll have to fill him in on what I'm about to tell you." This drew all of their attentions right to him. "A notorious man was arrested within the territory for several murders, and he's going to be tried here in Four Corners for his crimes. However, his trial isn't for several days…" He paused to let this sink in. "In that time, I need all of you to make sure he doesn't escape, or, if he manages to escape, that you catch him and bring him back in time for the trial."

They all nodded after the judge had finished, but it was Nathan who asked, "Just who is this man, Judge?"

"The Black Gentleman, Lewis Odin," the judge stated.

Ezra, who had been counting his money, turned his attention back to the judge, "The Black Gentleman? You mean you want us to keep HIM from escaping? He has his own following that will be in this town as soon as he is, I can assure you of that!"

"You sound like you're talking from experience, Ezra," Chris said, looking at the gambler.

Ezra met Chris' gaze, "I haven't actually been in a town that's tried to hold the Black Gentleman in its confines. I've only heard the tales from various people who have been, and, trust me, their tales aren't happy endings either. From what I've gathered from all those conversations, that's how most of the Black Gentleman's victims have come about."

"From the guy being in the town's jail?" JD questioned. Ezra nodded.

The judge added, "I know that is how this man operates, but I'm confident that you seven," he frowned at Ezra's arm again. "Can keep him in jail until his trial." The judge glanced at Ezra's arm again, "You will be well again, soon, Mr. Standish?"

Nathan practically growled, "He would have been fine if he hadn't ridden his horse before his arm was healed!"

Ezra, noting that the judge didn't look too happy, quickly said, "It will be fine, I'm sure my daughter would be willing to assist in keeping the Black Gentleman within the confines of the jail."

"You have a daughter?" The judge questioned, obviously surprised.

Ezra nodded, muttering, "Granted, I only found this out recently…"

The judge was frowning once more, "And you'd volunteer her for such a dangerous job?"

"She's technically allowed to ride with us," Ezra stated, glancing at Chris, "And since I'm out of commission, I don't see why she couldn't assist in whatever Mr. Larabee would have me do in a situation like this."

The judge continued to frown, "I don't think it's appropriate for a young lady…"

"Hellion," Buck coughed.

The judge frowned at him then, "Should be involved in such a task."

"Wait till you meet her, than say that," JD muttered.

The judge looked at JD, his frown not so pronounced now, "Perhaps I will… Where is the young lady?"

Ezra muttered, "Out with Mr. Tanner."

"And when are the two due back," the judge questioned.

Buck, Nathan, Ezra, and JD all glanced at Chris and Josiah, since they were the two that had seen the pair last. Chris just shrugged, while Josiah said, "I have no idea."

The judge glanced out the window as another stagecoach rolled in, this one having bars on the window and looking foreboding, "I hope they get here soon so they know what's going on."

Chris stood up, having noticed the stagecoach as well, "Looks like we'd better get to work as well."

All of them started to rise from their seats, including Ezra, but Nathan pushed him back into his seat, "Not you! You've got to let that arm of yours heal." Ezra scowled at him.

Buck muttered, with a wicked grin on his face as he headed towards the swinging doors, "I never thought I'd see the day when Ez actually wanted to help out."

The judge said, "Well, gentlemen, I'll leave you to handle it while I go visit with my grandson!"

* * *

><p>As Sara and Vin entered Four Corners, their horses at a sedate walk, Vin spotted the unique stagecoach as it came to a stop in front of the jail, "Wonder what's goin' on…"<p>

"I have no idea," Sara said, as she squinted at the stagecoach. The thundering of hooves drew her attention to the other end of town, "But something tells me that we need to get over there…Hah!" She spurred her horse and Gambler took off like a shot. Vin spurred Peso a second later, his horse managing to keep his head near the palomino's girth.

Vin and Sara's instincts were correct, as the riders appeared, heading directly towards the stagecoach, where a prisoner was just stepping down from the stagecoach.

The prisoner, dressed in all black, and having black hair and a small, mustache smirked as the group of riders came closer. All of the riders were wearing black as well, including black bandanas that hid their features. The only way to distinguish one from another was by their horses.

There were ten riders in the group, each on a different colored horse: bay, dark bay, black, chestnut, buckskin, dappled gray, chestnut overo pinto, black tobiano, cremello, and a blue roan.

Chris, Buck, Josiah, Nathan, and JD spotted the riders as well, and drew their guns without hesitation, taking aim, and firing. One of their bullets hit, sending the rider on the cremello keeling over his horse's hindquarters. The five men had to die behind various hiding spots then, as gunfire rained down on them. Chris sheltering behind a horse trough, JD behind one as well, Buck was using the corner of a building for cover, while Nathan crouched behind a couple barrels, and Josiah used the tavern wall right next to the swinging doors as cover.

The riders had to slow their horses as Chris and the others kept firing at them, though they were finding it hard to get in decent shots, since the riders were timing theirs pretty well.

* * *

><p>In the tavern, Ezra had taken Chris' usual spot at the bar, a shot glass in hand filled with whiskey. Trying to ignore the mayhem outside, Ezra went to drink the liquid, when a stray bullet shot the glass, breaking it in his hand.<p>

"Now, really!" Ezra exclaimed, gazing at the remnants of his drink. "That was rude!"

He moved to draw his own gun, when Josiah, who had just narrowly missed being hit by a different bullet, said, "Don't even think about it, Ezra, or Nathan will skin you alive."

* * *

><p>Chris glanced over the horse trough, trying to get a good view of where the remaining nine riders were at in relation to the prisoner. He spotted two riders, the ones on the bay and dark bay, and fired off two shots. His first shot hit the dark bay's rider, who fell over his horse's shoulder onto the ground, but his second shot wasn't as accurate, since he had to quickly duck back down, as the rider on the blue roan fired at him. Reloading quickly, he shouted, "Get that rider on the dark bay!"<p>

JD, hearing Chris' shout, reacted without thinking, and poked his head above the trough as he fired, but he missed, having to duck, and losing his hat in the process as a bullet narrowly missed his head, having been fired from the rider on the blue roan as well, who was hanging back a little bit away from the others, watching their backs.

"JD you moron!" Buck snapped from behind the corner as he came around it, and fired at the rider on the blue roan. His aim was dead on, and the rider slumped in the saddle, against the blue roan's neck.

Nathan found his opportunity and fired at the rider on the dark bay, but he hadn't anticipated the rider on the buckskin riding forward at just that moment. The rider cried out, gripping his left shoulder, and his horse spooked, leaping forward and leaving him lying, in a heap, on the ground.

Sheltering behind the barrels again, Nathan was unaware of the approaching danger from the rider on the chestnut pinto, who was approaching the healer's hiding spot, the healer being the closest to the group of riders.

Josiah took aim at the rider on the dark bay, and narrowly missed, the rider was now working on getting the Black Gentleman's bonds off. Before he had to duck behind the wall however, Josiah spotted the rider on the chestnut pinto advancing on Nathan, and shouted out the window, "Nathan, on your right!" Before he had to duck down, narrowly escaping a bullet once again, before he moved closer to the door, hunched over so as not to present himself as a target.

Nathan, hearing his friend's shout, spotted the rider on the chestnut pinto, merely feet away from him. Grabbing one of the knives on his back, he threw it with quick precision, the knife piercing the rider's chest, and he crumpled to the ground.

* * *

><p>Vin and Sara came upon the action, Vin taking aim with his sawed off rifle as Peso slowed, and taking out two riders, the one on the black pinto and the rider on the dappled grey, both riders toppled off their horses. Vin had to dismount quickly though, as the rider on the black horse fired at him, and Vin had to duck behind his wagon.<p>

Sara had a different approach, having heard Chris' shout, she spotted the dark bay's rider helping, a now free, Black Gentleman onto the horse. Not knowing that the man was the Black Gentleman, though, she just knew that Chris and the others were trying to keep him from escaping. Riding low on her horse, she steered Gambler towards the dark bay, which was now taking off at a gallop, heading out of town.

Chris saw the dark bay, now carrying two riders, galloping out of town, and shot at the rider, narrowly missing the rider and the Black Gentleman. Swearing, he ducked behind the water trough as the rider on the chestnut fired at him. When the shot went over his head, he glanced over the trough, and fired at the rider on the chestnut, who crumpled to the ground as the bullet found its mark.

Buck, seeing Vin duck behind his wagon, fired at the rider on the black horse, knowing full well his shot wouldn't hit the rider, but he hoped it would distract the rider from Vin.

It worked. The rider on the black horse turned slightly towards Buck, giving Vin time to fire his own shot, hitting the rider, who slumped forward in the saddle.

Chris came out from his cover, running towards his horse, "Let's get after them!" He mounted Justice, and spurred gelding into a gallop, after the dark bay. The others quickly followed, each mounting their horses and riding after Chris.

* * *

><p>Gambler easily came within firing range of the dark bay, and Sara took aim, aiming at the black dressed rider with the bandanna, who was so focused on riding that he hadn't noticed he was being followed.<p>

Just as she fired her shot, the other man, who was dressed in black, had turned and spotted her, giving warning to the rider with the bandanna, who had the dark bay swerve out of the bullet's path, going into rougher terrain as it did so.

Sara kept Gambler following the dark bay, but now it was harder to take aim, having to duck as bullets whizzed past her, narrowly missing their marks. As one bullet came at her, Gambler had to jump some brush that was in his way, and Sara felt her horse stumble, as well as giving a snort of pain.

Furious that her horse was injured, Sara fired off several shots right in a row, hoping to at least injure the rider in the bandanna. Though, unorthodox, it worked, the man who was dressed in black moved out of the bullet's path, and the rider with the bandanna took the bullet, slumping in the saddle, and the dark bay slowed, since there was no more urging from its rider to keep galloping.

Sara kept her gun on the remaining man, though she knew that it was an empty threat: she was out of bullets, but she hoped her bluff would work. She slowed Gambler as she came nearer to the dark bay and the man dressed in black, who was looking at her in an odd way. It was like he was looking at her, but not, his mind somewhere else, or imagining something else, perhaps thinking how best to disarm her, or debating whether or not her gun actually had bullets. To make the ruse seem real she cocked the hammer.

That's when the man spoke, making eye contact with her, his gray eyes cold and calculating, "You and I both know that's an empty threat." With that he reached for the dead rider's gun, and pointed it at her.

Sara switched her gun from her right hand to her left so she could trigger the mechanism on her arm to slide her Derringer into her hand. Just as she swung down her arm, the Derringer sliding into place, the sound of a gun being fired made her blood go cold for a second.

It wasn't the Black Gentleman who had fired though. Chris and the others had arrived, Chris being the one who had fired, hitting the gun out of the Black Gentleman's hand, which he was now clutching.

"Let's get him back to town and in the jail," Chris said, glancing back at Buck, Vin, and Josiah, who immediately surrounded the dark bay and the Black Gentleman, Josiah grabbing the horse's reins, before they started to head back to town at a lope, the dark bay moving into it reluctantly, since it was still carrying its two-man load.

JD had been watching the three head back to town, when movement from Sara caught his attention as she dismounted, moving to her horse's right flank, "What did you dismount for? We still have to head back to town!"

"My horse is injured," Sara stated, running a hand along the gash that stood out on the horse's golden hindquarters. Gambler bared his teeth at her as she touched the wound, though he didn't bite her.

Nathan dismounted as well, and took a look at the wound, "It's just a graze from a bullet, he should be fine." He watched as Sara checked her horse's leg as well, before she straightened up, apparently satisfied that the graze was her horse's only injury.

Chris turned to Nathan as Nathan mounted his horse once again, "You and I will head back to town to help the others." Nathan nodded as Chris turned to JD and Sara, "JD you stay with Sara, I doubt she'll ride her horse fast back to town, so just watch each other's backs. Fill her in on what's going on as well." JD gaped at Chris in disbelief while Chris and Nathan set off back to town, their horses' going at a lope.

Sara refused to ride her horse at anything faster than a trot, not wanting to aggravate Gambler's wound. JD explained what was going on to her, and when he explained who the prisoner was, he watched her eyes widen in surprise, "THE Black Gentleman?"

"Yep, and we've got to keep him in jail until his trial," JD finished explaining.

Sara glanced at him in surprise, "We?"

"Yeah," JD said. "You're taking up the slack, since Ezra's injured."

"Well, that's interesting," Sara muttered, more to herself than to JD.

JD, however, took it as a comment to him, "What's interesting?"

"The fact that I'm being entrusted to take up the slack," Sara answered.

"It was Judge Travis' idea," JD said quickly.

Sara grinned than, "Than I can't wait to be formally introduced to Judge Travis!"

* * *

><p>In town, Buck, Vin, and Josiah led the Black Gentleman into a cell, locking the cell door and the outer barred door as well. Though his hand was injured, the Black Gentleman looked smug, if not happy with the situation he was in.<p>

Buck muttered as he walked out with Vin and Josiah, "I don't like the look that lunatic has. The quicker that trial comes the better!"

"We'll just have to keep him here until then," Vin stated. "And I don't like it either. Feels wrong, especially the way he's acting."

Josiah nodded in agreement, "I get the feeling that our troubles with this guy have only just begun."

All three of them turned to look down the street as Chris and Nathan came riding in. Once Chris had tied his horse to the hitching post, he asked the three of them, "Everything go all right?"

Vin nodded, "Yep. He's in there."

"Grinning like a coyote, though," Buck muttered. "He's up to somethin', Chris."

Nathan came up behind Chris, glancing at the jail, before he said, "You know, I start to wonder if he had this planned."

"That he'd get caught?" Buck questioned.

Nathan nodded, "It seemed almost too easy."

"Almost getting killed in a gun fight doesn't strike me as easy," Josiah stated.

Chris and Vin exchanged a quick look before Vin said, "I think Nathan's got a point, why else would he be so calm about getting captured?"

"So you're sayin' that this guy planned on most of his followers gettin' killed today?" Buck questioned.

Josiah said quietly, "The judge did say that he had many followers, not just those few riders that came in."

Nathan said, "It's too bad we didn't get that one that was wounded in the arm, we might have gotten so information out of him."

Another glance between Chris and Vin, before Vin moved into the street, studying the tracks, they all heard him say, "Aw hell." Before he came back to them, "The tracks are too jumbled to tell what horse was what, much less any single guy stumbling around."

Chris looked down the main street, before he said, "It can't be helped, we had to get the Black Gentleman back here, we'll just have to keep our guard up." He looked at all of them, "I want two people here at all times, we're not going to let him get out of this trial." He looked at Nathan, "Can Ezra help out as well."

Nathan shook his head, "With the risk there is, and the way his arm is only half healed, it'd be best if we just left him out of this."

Chris nodded, "All right…Buck, Vin, I want you two to take the first watch." Buck and Vin nodded, before they both headed into the jail, both of them taking separate seats on either side of the room. "Josiah, Nathan, you two can take over from them in a couple hours." He glanced down the street again as Sara and JD rode in. JD rode right over to Chris while Sara dismounted and led Gambler over to the hitching post, before she headed towards the livery.

Chris said to JD, "You and Buck will have a watch here at the jail later tonight. You two will take over from Sara and I."

Buck, hearing what Chris said, glanced at Vin, "You don't think Chris is…"

"Nah," Vin said, though he didn't look so sure.

Chris walked away from JD, and headed towards the livery, where Sara was now coming out of, a bucket and a rag in her hands. He said to her as she walked past, "You and I are watching the prisoner early this evening." Sara merely raised a hand to show that she had heard him.

Making his way towards the tavern, Chris was surprised to see Ezra, sitting at a table alone, while several games of cards were going on around him.

Noticing Chris' entrance, Ezra stated, looking bored as he shuffled his deck of cards, "You can only play so many games of chance before people start to notice that you're not losing very often…" The gambler sighed, before he went back to his shuffling, gazing longingly at one of the games that was going on.

Chris rolled his eyes, before he went over to his usual spot next to the bar, and Inez brought him a glass, filling it with whiskey.

* * *

><p>Sara gently washed Gambler's wound, the horse nipping her whenever he got the opportunity, and there were several. She was relieved to see that the wound wasn't deep, more of a scratch than anything else. When Gambler made to nip her for the umpteenth time as she set the rag in the bucket, she swatted his muzzle, "Knock that off you big baby," she scolded. Gambler snorted, turning away from her. Sara rolled her eyes at her horse before she headed towards the livery to return the bucket and rag.<p>

* * *

><p>A rider dressed all in black rode into a sporadic looking camp, his eyes glazed over with pain, and blood dripping down his left arm from a wound on his shoulder. His horse, a buckskin, was covered in foamy sweat as it cantered into the camp.<p>

Other men, dressed in black appeared, walking out of barely assembled tents, but their bandannas were sitting around their necks, their features easy to see.

A large man with blond hair, and a large handlebar mustache approached the rider on the buckskin, as the rider stopped the horse and lowered his own bandanna revealing a clean shaven face that was pale due to the obvious pain his shoulder was causing him. The buckskin rolled its eyes, showing the whites of them as the large man approached.

"So, you couldn't get him out," the large man said, his deep voice carrying no tone of surprise.

The rider shook his head, "There were seven gunslingers that were there and they stopped us from getting him."

"And all the others are dead," the large man stated, still no tone of surprise in his voice.

The rider nodded, "I'm the only one who made it out of there alive."

"Then you'll help us get into that town," the large man stated. The rider paled, though he didn't say anything about his shoulder, merely nodding in agreement to what the man had said.

* * *

><p>Buck and Vin were bored out of their minds in no time, not speaking to the Black Gentleman, who was still grinning in his cell, and not really speaking to each other due to the Black Gentleman's presence.<p>

JD entered the jail than, and asked, "Everything all right so far?"

"Yeah," Vin said, while Buck stood up. JD looked uneasy.

"Boy!" Buck began, in an angry tone, causing JD to back up. "I don't care how much Chris, or any of us shouts, but you never, EVER go to shoot at an enemy without checking to make sure that you're not in any danger of getting shot, first! And another thing…!" JD was retreating from Buck, who followed him right out of the jail, leaving a grinning Vin behind in the jail, and a still, grinning Black Gentleman, those his eyes no longer held a happy look, it was once again, cold and calculating.

* * *

><p>Judge Travis exited the Clarion, having spent a good part of the day with his grandson, he glanced towards the ruckus that Buck was causing as he continued to scold JD, before he glanced towards a young lady in a scarlet coat, making his way over to her as she made her way towards the tavern.<p>

"Miss," Judge Travis called out, and the young lady paused, glancing back at him with a quizzical expression on her face.

"I am Judge Orrin Travis," the judge said, tipping his hat to her. He noted that the young lady's expression turned wary. "I believe I'm not overstepping my bounds when I assume that you are Mr. Standish's daughter?"

A scowl replaced the wary look, "Indeed, sir. Sara Standish is my name." She tipped her hat, and the judge couldn't help smiling slightly at the gesture.

"I believe you've already been informed of assisting in keeping the Black Gentleman in jail until his trial?" The judge inquired. Sara nodded. "Good. I hope you will prove yourself reliable…do you have any employment…don't answer that," he held up his hand, stopping her response, not wanting to hear it. "If you prove yourself able, I might be able to employ you as part of the law in this town." With that said, he tipped his hat to an extremely stunned Sara, and walked towards the boarding house.

Sara watched Judge Travis head towards the boarding house, before she made her way over to the tavern, still a bit stunned.

In the tavern, Ezra, who was obviously a bit drunk…well…more than a bit, had picked out a fresh group of gamblers who were getting ready to start a game of chance, and he figured that he could get some money out of them, since they were not familiar with him. As the swinging doors opened, and Sara walked through, he greeted his daughter, and said, "Sara, come here for a minute."

Scowling once again, Sara walked over to him, "Yes, Father?" Ezra didn't flinch on the word this time, which unsettled her a bit, and it was obvious by the expression on her face.

"I want you to help me get some money out of those gentlemen," he used the word loosely, since the men were obviously either ranchers, farmers, or maybe even both.

Sara glanced at the group that her father had indicated and she said, as he stood up to join the game the group was starting, "No."

Ezra paused, looking over his shoulder at her, "Excuse me?"

"No," she repeated, her voice firm, but her eyes showed how nervous she was getting as they darted around the room.

Ezra chuckled darkly, as he shook his head back and forth, "I do recall that the letter said you were to be living with me, meaning that you should be doing as I say, when I ask something of you."

"I won't be a part of your con," Sara hissed in a whisper, having been trained in the art for so long that she knew secrecy when talking about a con was needed. "Or at least, not this one…" With that, she whipped around, and dashed out of the tavern, Ezra staring angrily after her, before he went to join the game of chance that the group he had wanted to con started one up.

Chris glanced at the, still swinging, doors, having heard a good portion of Ezra and Sara's conversation, before he turned back to his drink, a thoughtful expression on his face.

Outside, Sara moved swiftly towards her horse, untying his reins from the hitching post and mounting, before she gave him a swift kick, and Gambler galloped out of town.

* * *

><p>Night had fallen, and Chris stood outside the jail, leaning against the outside wall, while Josiah and Nathan were sitting calmly within the room, knowing that Sara would show up eventually.<p>

The sound of a lone horse approaching drew Chris' attention, and the light from the small pit fires burning in the street illuminated Sara and Gambler, the flickering light revealing how dusty the pair was from their ride. Chris didn't say anything to her as she dismounted, loosely tying Gambler to the hitching post, and checking his wound from earlier in the day. Satisfied that it hadn't reopened, she walked towards Chris.

Chris didn't say anything to her, merely walking into the jail while Josiah and Nathan left, both casting her sympathetic looks as she followed Chris inside.

Without saying a word, Chris sat down behind the desk, casting a sideways glance at the Black Gentleman, who appeared to be sound asleep, his back to them.

Sara sat down in a chair directly across from Chris, and waited a few seconds before she asked, "How did they know?" Chris glanced at her, but he didn't' answer. She clarified, hoping to get an answer out of the gunslinger, "How did they know about what happened in the tavern?"

"We know Ezra gets pretty nasty when he's drunk. He'll probably apologize to you when he's sober…if he remembers anything from this evening," Chris stated.

Sara looked at him, "So you told them?"

"Nah, Buck happened to be sitting at a different table right behind you two," Chris said.

Silence spanned between them for several long minutes. Amazingly, Chris was the one to break the silence, "You said that you wouldn't help Ezra with the particular con he had in mind…what did you mean by that?"

A small smile crossed her features for a brief second, "I have several…principles…that I follow when I do a con…" She didn't add anything to her statement, and Chris let her be.

The night wore on minute by minute, the pair sitting in silence, alert for any signs of trouble. A crash sounded from outside, and Sara was up faster than the gun slinger, hand reaching for her colt. She said softly, already heading towards the door, "I'll check it out…" With that, she was outside, and moving cautiously towards the back of the jail, where the sound had originated from. Moving around the corners cautiously, and staying on her toes, she moved around the last corner of the building and frowned as she found the source of the crash, a buckskin horse that had apparently gotten itself free from a hitching post.

* * *

><p>In his wagon, Vin heard a crash sound from the jail, and he grabbed his sawed off shotgun, heading towards the jail to assist Chris and Sara.<p>

* * *

><p>Chris was standing and on high alert, listening for any sounds that would indicate that Sara was in trouble, he didn't hear any though.<p>

* * *

><p>"Easy," Sara said to the buckskin, which was pawing the ground in agitation. "It's all right…" She whipped around, as she heard a sound from behind her, colt cocked and ready to fire, but she un-cocked the hammer as she recognized Vin.<p>

Vin asked, as he came nearer, "Everything all right?"

"Yeah," Sara said. "This buckskin just got loose…" She frowned suddenly, as did Vin as he looked at the horse, before he whipped around, dashing towards the front of the jail as he shouted, "Chris!" That's when the sound of a gun firing echoed throughout the town.

* * *

><p>Chris hit the floor, having seen a shadowy figure just seconds before a bullet came through the window of the jail, rolling towards the desk, he flipped it over so the top of the desk would be between him and any bullets. He cocked the hammer on his own gun and waited, listening for the tell-tale sound of the door opening, indicating that someone was entering the jail. He could make out the sounds of gunfire outside.<p>

* * *

><p>Sara and Vin couldn't get to the front of the jail, their path blocked by seven men dressed entirely in black, black bandannas pulled over their faces. Vin and Sara dove behind barrels on either side of the small alley, both exchanging worried looks before they started to fire at the seven men, desperate to assist Chris and hoping that he was all right.<p>

* * *

><p>Buck, JD, Nathan, and Josiah were sitting at a table, enjoying a couple drinks when they heard the first shot. By the time they got outside, guns drawn, they could hear a gun fight going on somewhere near the jail.<p>

Ezra's poker game ended quickly, the group all taking cover, while Ezra merely remained in his seat, watching the four men leave the tavern.

Motioning to the others, Buck had Josiah and Nathan head the long way around, to cut off any of the Black Gentleman's followers from escaping on that side of town, while Buck and JD made their way towards the jail, moving from cover to cover unsure of just how many men were in the town trying to help the Black Gentleman escape. Buck's eyes widened as he saw the group of men dressed in black on the street, who were apparently waiting for him and JD, since they opened fire immediately when the largest man amongst them pointed them out.

"Shit," Buck swore, leaping behind a water trough. "JD!"

"Right here!" Came JD's response, the younger man having dived behind several barrels.

Buck called out, as he fired a shot at the men in the street, around twenty of them, though the number dropped to nineteen as his bullet met its target, "We got to get to the jail and help Chris and Sara!"

"Don't you think I know that?" JD hollered back, managing to fire off two shots, before he ducked back behind the barrels, his own bullets finding their marks.

* * *

><p>Josiah and Nathan moved as swiftly as they could towards the other side of town, staying off the main street, and trying to be as quiet as possible. They could hear the sounds of more gun fire, but there was nothing they could do yet, seeing as they were not within range to help their friends, yet.<p>

* * *

><p>Vin and Sara were kept pinned down behind their respective barrels, unable to even fire off their own shots at the men.<p>

Sara stood up without warning, colt already cocked and fired off four shots, each one finding its designated target, as bullets from the men whizzed past her, millimeters away from her.

Vin's mouth hung open from the shock of her stupidity, or bravery, or a mix of both.

She had to duck down as one of the remaining three men took careful aim at her and fired. Vin watched her go down quickly, but he noticed her hand was touching her forehead, her hat lying a little ways away on the ground, and her eyes were wide with terror and shock.

Finishing up Sara's work, though it took a bit longer, Vin managed to gun down the remaining three men, before he hurried over to Sara, "You all right?"

"Yeah…" Sara said, shakily, getting to her feet and grabbing her hat.

Vin asked, "First time getting shot?"

"Yeah," Sara answered, this time her voice was steadier. "It just shook me up a bit. I'm fine. Let's go help Chris." She led the way, and Vin followed closely, keeping an eye on her and listening to the gun fire that was coming from the main street.

* * *

><p>Buck swore once again as a bullet flew past a millimeter away from his face. He hollered, "How you holding up, JD?"<p>

"How do you think I'm holding up?" JD snapped back, firing off a terrible shot as he ducked behind the barrels, narrowly escaping a bullet.

"Well, at least you're still alive!" Buck shouted, chuckling as he fired at the men in the street and a man fell to the ground.

* * *

><p>Chris strained his ears for any sign of the door opening, trying to hear the sound above the gunfire. He was distracted as the Black Gentleman chuckled.<p>

"You realize that this is how it always happens? A first, sloppy attempt at freeing me, and then the lawmen gunned down before I begin my killing spree," he chuckled once again.

"I wouldn't get too cocky," Chris said, in a low, deadly tone. "I have no intention of letting you get out of here alive."

"We'll see," the Black Gentleman said, his eyes going towards the door, as the handle started to turn slowly.

* * *

><p>Josiah and Nathan made it to the other end of town, and started to make their way back towards the gun fight. The remaining sixteen men, including the larger man in the group, who had lowered his bandanna, revealing a handlebar mustache, and another, man, had lowered his bandanna as well, his face clean shaven, and his left arm dangling uselessly at his side. They were both keeping Buck and JD pinned down, the others in the group, firing more randomly.<p>

Nathan and Josiah exchanged a quick glance, before they nodded at the other. With a piercing whistle, Josiah drew the attention of the sixteen men, who all turned around and stared in surprise at the pair, and for many, that was the last they saw as Josiah and Nathan fired, both of them hitting six men each, though the bullets weren't aimed to be fatal, the twelve men that did get hit went down, crying out in pain as they hit the ground.

The remaining four men dropped their guns as Buck and JD reminded them from behind that they still had loaded weapons, along with Sara and Vin, who came out of the alley.

Buck frowned as he spotted Sara and asked, "Where's, Chris?"

* * *

><p>Chris followed the Black Gentleman's gaze and stood up, just as the door to the jail flew open, revealing a tall, lanky man dressed the usual black, with the same bandanna as the others as well. Chris fired, and the man clutched his hand, the gun he had been holding hitting the floor. When he made a grab at it, Chris fired his own gun again, getting the man in the shoulder. The man cried out again, now clutching his shoulder while Chris kicked the gun away from him.<p>

The Black Gentleman looked livid now, "You haven't gotten the rest of my followers, they'll…!" His eyes practically bugged out of his head when he saw Josiah, Buck, Nathan, JD, and Sara come in, shoving the four men that they had captured in the street into the jail.

"You…you bastards!" The Black Gentleman shouted all pretense of calm gone as he called them all every name under the sun that he could think of as his five followers, including the one that Chris had shot were shoved one by one into the cell with him.

JD held the cell door closed, and looked back at Buck who was bringing him the key to lock the cell door.

Seeing his chance, the Black Gentleman rammed the door, causing JD to fall backwards, and he attempted to make his bid for freedom. All of them went to draw their guns, when a shot came from the door of the jail, the bullet hitting the Black Gentleman in the right knee. He crumpled to the ground, more oaths coming from him as he clutched his knee.

Buck hauled him roughly to his feet, causing the Black Gentleman to call him an asshole, among other things, and Buck shoved him into the cell, locking the door, before he helped JD to his feet. Before they both stared at the figure in the doorway along with the rest of them.

Ezra grinned at them, as he holstered his gun, "I figured you'd need my assistance at some point. I became worried when the sounds of gunfire seemed to be carrying on longer than usual around here."

"Figures you'd only come to help willingly when you were drunk, Ez," Buck said, grinning mischievously. Ezra scowled at him, but he didn't say anything against the statement either as the others laughed, all apart from Sara, whose expression was unreadable as she gazed at her father.

* * *

><p>Early the next morning, the sun barely above the horizon, and a fog covering the land, Sara was untying her horse's reins from the hitching post, when a familiar southern accent came from the tavern, "You're up early this dreary morning."<p>

Ezra stood just outside the tavern, watching his daughter, though he looked tired, "I figured you'd be up this early."

"I didn't think you were up this early," Sara grouched.

Ezra continued to look at her, "This morning I figured I should be."

"What's so important about this morning, Father?" Sara asked, glaring at him.

Ezra flinched when she said father, but he didn't appear fazed by her tone of voice, "I need to apologize for my behavior of the previous night. I understand how you must have felt when I demanded that you assist me." Sara's glare was still intense, but Ezra remained unfazed as he turned away from her, tipping his hat to her, "Well, that's all I had to say."

Blinking in surprise, a bit confused by her father's behavior, Sara mounted her horse, turning him away from the hitching post and starting to walk him away from the tavern. She pulled her horse to a halt, and gazed at the tavern for several more seconds, lost in her own thoughts, before she smiled slightly, and gave Gambler a gentle kick, the palomino moving into a swift trot.

From inside the tavern, Ezra watched his daughter, and he saw her slight smile, before she rode out of town. Ezra shook his head, a small smile on his own face, before he stepped outside again, heading towards the boarding house.

Sara was just at the edge of town, when a voice said, "Hold on young lady." She reined in Gambler, and glanced back at Judge Travis, obviously surprised to see him.

"You did well last night," he said. "Better than many men, from what I've been told. I'm willing to offer you a position as one of the defenders of this town, though I can only pay you fifty cents a day and free room and board at the boarding house."

Sara stared at her horse's white mane for several seconds, before she turned to Judge Travis, "I think I'll take you up on that offer, Judge." With that, she released her hold on the reins, and Gambler took off at a gallop, leaving a cloud of dust behind him.

Judge Travis chuckled as he watched her form get smaller and smaller, "An intriguing young woman."


	4. Bound by Fire

_**I do not own any of the Magnificent Seven characters, I just didn't want to see them sitting on a shelf collecting dust! **_

* * *

><p>In a Native American village, not far from Four Corners, night had settled over the tribe, only a couple warriors on horseback guarded the camp of teepees, alert for any strange sounds in the night. Further away, a young warrior was guarding the horses, keeping an eye on the precious equines that were currently in a box canyon. His eyes kept darting around the landscape, trying to see any enemies that would try to steal the horses, but none came within sight.<p>

In the village, the warriors on horseback continued to have their horses walk around the teepees, each several yards away from the other riders on patrol. A gunshot broke the night, and one of the warriors fell. With a war cry, the remaining two riders notched arrows, and fired into the night. Two more gunshots rang out, and the other two riders fell.

A hassled looking man, with medium length white hair rushed out of his teepee along with several others of the tribe, just in time to be greeted by a horseman dressed in all black and on a solid black horse with many men on horseback behind him. He lit a cigar as the tribe stared at him in horror and anger.

"I told you to get your people out of here, Elan," the man stated calmly, lighting a cigar. "I warned you that this was my cattle grazing lands and that I wanted you out of here."

The man, Elan, glared at him, and spat , "We have hunted here long before you came with your useless beasts!"

"Useless?" The man questioned, looking amused. "Too bad for you, that ain't true." His gaze became cold as ice, "This is my last warning, either you clear out, or me and my men will slaughter you all across this land! Hyaa!" He spurred his horse, having it turn around before he and his men, took off into the night.

A bold looking young man, with his black hair falling about his face came up behind Elan, his expression fierce, as he moved about the frightened men and women who had come out of their teepees, "We cannot leave because of what Richard says! We have hunted here long before I was born!"

"And what would you have me do, Bodaway? We do not have the weapons they do! Our tribe would be slaughtered!" Elan said, looking defeated.

Bodaway's green eyes seemed to shine in the night, "I have heard tell when we have traded with other tribes of seven men who have helped them against other white men."

"What tribes have spoken of this?" Elan demanded. "It sounds more like a story for children!"

Shaking his head Bodaway said, "The Navajo and Seminole tribes have spoken of them, or do you say that they are liars?"

Elan looked at the young man, a desperate hope in his grey eyes, "And where do these men reside?"

"In a town called Four Corners," Bodaway answered.

* * *

><p>The afternoon sunshine shown in Four Corners, Mary working hard on the next issue of The Clarion, glancing out the window every now and then as she heard Billy and Abram playing outside, enjoying a game of tag as they dashed about.<p>

In the saloon the seven were scattered about, Chris at his usual spot at the bar while Buck, JD, and Ezra were playing a game of cards near him, while Nathan, Josiah, and Vin sat at a table a little ways away from them, eating some lunch.

Ezra glanced at his pocket watch for the umpteenth time that morning, and he shoved it back into his scarlet coat roughly.

"Worried, Ez?" Buck inquired, grinning over his cards.

Ezra gave him an incredulous look, "Me? Worried about her well being? I'm most certainly not. I'm just wondering what she could possibly be doing for so long!"

JD stated, "I saw her go out riding early this morning…" He was frowning over the cards he had.

"I know that, Mr. Dunne," Ezra stated, shifting his cards around. "But what could possibly keep her out this long?"

Buck chuckled, "Hoo! Hoo! Not worried about her well being, eh?"

Ezra placed his cards on the table and Buck stopped laughing and JD threw his down in defeat. "Thank you, gentlemen," Ezra said, grinning, sweeping up the money he had just won from his friends.

"How do we know you didn't cheat?" JD grumbled.

Ezra grinned at him, flashing his gold tooth, "As I've said before, my young friend, you don't!"

Inez walked around the bar, filling up everyone's drinks if they wanted more. As she passed by the window, she paused and asked, "Do you men know this man that just rode up?"

Buck was the first one up and at the window, and he said, not sounding too thrilled, "Now what in the blazes is he doing back in town?"

Ezra and JD were the next ones at the window, and Inez moved out of way, letting them take a look.

With only a glance out the window, Ezra muttered, "Oh good Lord!" He went back to his seat, and answered the unspoken question of the other four, "Mr. Jock Steele has returned."

"On that same noisy mule too!" Buck commented as the mule brayed outside as Jock Steele dismounted, dusting off his clothes on his short and stocky frame.

Buck and JD moved away from the window, the expressions on their faces clearly illustrating that they weren't thrilled to see the writer's return. The only one of the seven that looked fairly pleased was Josiah.

Jock Steele walked in, and he grinned happily as he spotted all of the seven scattered about the tavern, "Gentlemen! My first book was such a success that the publishers wanted me to come back out here and get enough material for a second book!"

"That's great," Josiah said.

Jock Steele continued to grin, "This means that I get to follow you around again!"

"Not so great," Chris muttered, drinking a shot of whiskey, grimacing ever so slightly.

* * *

><p>Sara rode into town, Gambler moving at an easy trot; she stared at the mule tied to the hitching rail, but she obliviously wasn't bothered by it as she tied Gambler in his usual spot between Buck's horse, Blaze, and Ezra's horse, Ace. Patting Gambler, Sara made her way towards the saloon.<p>

* * *

><p>Jock Steele missed Chris' remark, "So gentlemen? What's the trouble in town today?"<p>

"Nothing," Ezra stated, shuffling the cards absentmindedly.

Jock Steele's eyes widened in surprise, "Nothing?"

"It's been pretty quiet the past few days," Nathan said.

Buck nodded, "We haven't even had any drunks causing trouble."

Jock Steele looked crestfallen at this news for a few seconds, but he was grinning again in no time, "Well then it's about time something happened!" He added as an afterthought, "Right?"

* * *

><p>Sara was almost to the doors of the tavern when a voice behind her said, "Miss?" Turning around, she gazed at the two men behind her, one an old man with medium length white hair and grey eyes, the other a younger man, no older than Vin, with long, black hair tied into a pony tail, and green eyes, both of them Native Americans.<p>

"Yes?" Sara said, turning to face them.

The old man, the one who had spoken before asked, "Do you know of the seven men that are said to protect this town?"

She studied them, her gaze taking in their appearance of baggy, gray clothes, moccasins, and no obvious weapons. She finally said, "I suppose…" She walked into the saloon then, nearly walking into Jock Steele.

Jock Steele turned around in surprise, "Excuse me!" He gave Sara his best, charming smile, "Sorry about that, Miss."

Sara paid him no attention, instead she said, "Mr. Larabee…" Chris turned away from the bar and noted the two Native Americans behind her.

JD muttered to Ezra, taking in Sara's appearance, "Told you she was just out for a ride!"

Ezra shushed him, casting a glance towards Jock Steele. Buck rolled his eyes, but he didn't say anything.

Jock Steele's attention was riveted to the Native Americans as the older one spoke, "I am Elan, and this is Bodaway." He looked nervous as he spoke. "We would like to invite you to our lands, seeing as to how you've helped several other tribes."

"That's mighty kind of you," Vin said.

Chris asked, "What's the catch?"

"There's no catch," Elan stated, though he wouldn't meet Chris' gaze. Chris frowned in thought.

Josiah glanced at Chris, a knowing look in his eyes, "I don't see why we can't go up there. If they want to extend their hospitality to us we should accept it."

Chris met the preacher's gaze before he said, "All right, we'll head up with you to your lands." He glanced at the others, "Let's get moving."

They all headed outside with a crestfallen Jock Steele muttering, "That wasn't what I expected them to say at all!"

Everyone mounted with ease, Elan and Bodaway each mounting a bay horse. Chris had just mounted his horse when Billy came running up with Abram hot on his heels. "Where you going, Chris?" Billy asked.

"That's what I was wondering," Mary said as she walked towards them, arms crossed, Mrs. Potter right behind her.

Chris stated, "Just going to…" He glanced at Elan for some assistance.

"Our tribe's lands," Elan supplied.

Billy asked, glancing between Chris and his mother, unaware of the tension between them, "Can we go, Mama! Please!"

"I want to go too!" Abram chimed in, glancing at his mother imploringly.

Mary looked at Chris, "Is this just a social visit, or is there some trouble there?"

Bodaway and Elan exchanged a quick look before Bodaway answered, "There is no danger to your children."

Mary and Mrs. Potter nodded, and Billy and Abram turned their attention to Chris, waiting for him to say something. "I guess you all can come along with you want…"

While Mary and Mrs. Potter saddled their horses Mrs. Potter making arrangements for her daughter to stay with a different family, while Bill and Abram bouncing around them, Josiah said quietly, "Is it a good idea to let them come with us?"

"I really don't know. But they're safer with us then in an unguarded town," Chris stated.

Jock Steele noticed that Sara was mounted and ready to ride as well, and he asked Chris, "Who's she?"

Chris ignored him, but JD answered, "Her? She's Ezra's daughter!"

Jock Steele's eyes widened, "The con man's? Really?"

"You better believe it, Mister," JD said.

Ezra sighed as Jock Steele eagerly turned his gaze on him, "Yes, she's my daughter, though I'm still trying to find evidence that says otherwise."

"You and me both, Father," Sara said, adding the usual venom to the word "father". Ezra flinched.

Mary said as she and Mrs. Potter rode over to them, their sons sitting in front of them, "This should be a good experience for the boys to learn not to believe in the stereotypes about the natives."

* * *

><p>The sun was setting by the time they reached the tribe, crossing a small stream as they drew nearer, the teepees stained red by the last rays from the sun, and the canyons beyond them looking ominous in the scarlet light as the grass became sparse near them.<p>

They rode in behind Elan and Bodaway, taking in everything about the tribe, from the children looking at them with wide eyes, to the women that stared at them fearfully, and the men that stared at them with unreadable expressions.

"We don't look very welcome, now do we?" Buck said to no one in particular.

Nathan nodded, "Uh-huh. You're right there, Buck."

Chris asked from directly behind Elan and Bodaway, "So what exactly are we here for?"

"I doubt that it's what we were told, Mr. Larabee," Ezra stated.

Elan said, glancing back at them, "I will tell you once you have eaten and gotten some rest."

Chris didn't look pleased with this answer, but he didn't say anymore, distracted by Gambler, who gave a small buck, before he went into a full out bucking fit, trying to unseat Sara.

Sara stayed on her horse, barely moving in the saddle, though Gambler was obviously putting his all into unseating her. When he stopped, she stayed ready in the saddle, waiting to see what he'd do. Gambler decided to keep moving with the group.

Chris said, "Didn't I tell you the last time that happened to get him under control?"

"And I believe I said that there's a mutual respect between Gambler and I, Mr. Larabee, meaning that every now and then, this is bound to happen!" Sara snapped.

They reached a makeshift corral, and they all dismounted. Sara was surprised to hear Elan's voice on Gambler's right side asking, "Would you mind letting your stallion run with our mares?"

Sara ducked under Gambler's head as he tugged at his tied reins, "I don't usually let him cover anyone's mares for free. Besides, he's not a purebred."

"He has good confirmation and color," Elan stated. "If he cannot pass on his confirmation, perhaps he will at least pass on his golden coat. We currently have no stallions of our own, either, and we could use the foals."

"Still," Sara said, "I don't let him cover mares for free."

Elan pulled out a pouch and shook out several coins, tossing them to her, "It is all I can offer…"

Sara considered the coins thoughtfully, before she untied Gambler, taking off his saddle and bridle, before giving him a slap on his hindquarters, "He can find the mares on his own…"

Elan smiled, and said as he walked away from her, "Ashoge"

"Pardon?" Sara asked, wondering what he had just said.

Vin, who had heard the conversation as he had walked over to her said, "Ashoge, it means thanks."

"Oh…I didn't know you were fluent in other languages, Mr. Tanner," Sara said, starting to head towards the teepees.

Vin grinned, "Just a few. I was with one of the Kiowa tribes for a while when I was a buffalo hunter; the Apache's language is pretty similar."

"I see…" Sara murmured. As they entered the grouping of teepees, many of the tribe said, "Ya Ta Say" as they passed.

"They're sayin' hello," Vin said, repeating the words back to all who greeted them, while Sara merely nodded, looking a bit overwhelmed.

Sara glanced to her right as she heard children laughing and she smiled slightly as she spotted Billy and Abram playing a game of tag with the Apache children.

Vin followed her gaze and smiled, "It's good to see them gettin' along so well, 'specially based on how the town views natives."

"They seem to be set in their ways on many things, Mr. Tanner," Sara stated.

Vin continued to smile, "Give'em time to get to know you. I'm sure they'll come to respect you." Sara rolled her eyes, though Vin didn't see it.

* * *

><p>Ezra, meanwhile, couldn't lose Jock Steele, who seemed determined to follow him around, JD and Buck where following at a distance, snickering at Ezra's obvious agitation with Mr. Steele.<p>

"So, Mr. Standish," Jock Steele said. "You say you were completely unaware that you had a daughter until a few weeks ago?"

"I believe I made that perfectly clear the past few times you've asked," Ezra stated, his tone indicating that he was starting to lose his patience with Mr. Steele.

Jock Steele wrote in his notebook, "Mm-hmm…and you have absolutely no fatherly affection towards her?"

"Not in the slightest," Ezra answered.

Jock Steele gave him a skeptical look, but remained silent as he jotted Ezra's answer down, "Do you always flinch when Sara calls you, father?"

"Not always," Ezra answered, only half-truthfully.

Buck chuckled and said loudly, "Only when she's not putting as much venom as a rattler into the word!"

"And that ain't often!" JD added.

Ezra gave JD and Buck a deadly look, "I don't believe your opinions were asked for, gentlemen."

Jock Steele wrote something once again in his notebook, before saying, "One last question, Mr. Standish, what was her mother's name?" Buck and JD were silent, eagerly listening for the name of Sara's mother.

Ezra tipped his hat to Jock Steele, his gaze cold, but nowhere near as cold as his voice, "Good night, Mr. Steele."

Jock Steele gazed after Ezra in confusion before he asked Buck and JD, "Was it something I said?"

"Probably," JD said, walking past him.

Buck nodded in agreement, "Most likely."

Jock Steele stared after them, trying to figure out what he had said to offend the gambler. Shrugging, he put his pencil behind his right ear, and started to look for one of the other seven to question.

* * *

><p>That night after a meal, the seven, Sara, Mary, Mrs. Potter, their sons, and Jock Steele sat around a fire that they had made. Jock Steele was writing furiously in his notebook, glancing up to look at each of them around the fire every now and then.<p>

Vin said to Chris, "I'm still trying to figure out why we're really here."

"Yeah, I know," Chris stated.

Buck said from Chris' other side, "So you two don't believe that it was out of the kindness of their hearts?"

"I would have believed them more if they said they wanted us to see what they had to trade for some supplies, not what they told us," Vin said.

Josiah said from his position on Vin's left, "I have to agree with Vin on this one. Elan refused to meet Chris' gaze a couple times."

Mary said, "Is it really so hard for you to believe that they may have just wanted us to see their lands?"

"Ma'am," Vin said, looking at her. "I would believe it more if the people here hadn't been so afraid of us when we first arrived."

Nathan nodded, and said from his position next to Josiah, "I believe there's something going on here, I noticed them burying a couple bodies while I was looking around. That Bodaway got me away from there pretty quick."

"It does seem pretty suspicious," Ezra said, as he did card tricks absentmindedly. "It wouldn't surprise me if they were having some sort of trouble and required our assistance." He glanced at all of them, "After all, we have helped our tribes before."

Mary glared at Chris, "Do you mean to tell Mrs. Potter and I that you allowed us to come up here with our children even if there was danger here?"

"It's safer here for them, with us to watch them then back in an unprotected town," Sara stated quietly before Chris could answer, and he shot Sara one of his infamous glares, luckily she wasn't looking.

Mary argued, though she addressed Chris, "Our sons would have been safer in town, where there's no danger."

Chris said, meeting Mary's furious gaze, "It's like Sara said, safer here with us to watch them then back in town. Trouble can come at any moment."

Billy looked between his mother and Chris, looking confused and upset by their arguing, though he kept quiet.

* * *

><p>In the box canyon near the teepees, a young warrior with short black hair, and bright, green eyes glanced around for intruders before he gazed admirably past the makeshift fence, to the horses beyond it. His gaze lingered on the palomino stallion among the tribes mares, as they grazed at the brittle grass stems and half-dead bushes that were all over the canyon floor and walls, before he looked around again for enemies, and then back to the palomino once more.<p>

A man tip toed towards him, a knife in hand, hidden by the shadow of the canyon wall. While the warrior's gaze was looking at the horses, he plunged the knife into the young warrior's chest. The young warrior's eyes widened in shock and pain, and a gasp of pain escaped his lips, before he collapsed on the ground.

Gambler's head shot up at the gasp of pain and the thud of a body hitting the ground, snorting, he looked for danger and spotted the man with the knife. He squealed and arched his neck, pawing the ground aggressively, ears laid back, and teeth bared.

The man in the shadows paid no attention to the stallion, merely moving out of sight of the box canyon.

Gambler remained alert, his body tense and ears now pricked, though they swiveled around as rocks could be heard falling down the wall of the canyon. The sounds stopped though, and after a few seconds, the stallion went back to grazing.

In the moonlight, the man was dressed in a brown duster, his hat tilted low, hiding his eyes, though his lanky frame was obvious, even as he stooped, setting barrels along the right canyon wall, the liquid sloshing within them, their spouts positioned over the wall. Once they were set up, the man turned each of the spouts, allowing the liquid within to spill down the walls and over the brittle vegetation and the rocks.

Gambler lifted his head as he heard more strange sounds of something scraping above him. Looking up, there was nothing he could see that alerted him to danger, but he remained tense.

The man lit a match, revealing his stormy, grey eyes, and a scar on his gaunt face, before he threw it onto one of the trails of liquid on the canyon wall. It lit immediately and sped down the wall, fed by the liquid and brittle vegetation. He repeated this process on each of the trails from each of the five barrels, before he strode over to a bay blanket appaloosa, and mounted it, riding off into the night.

Gambler saw the flames before he even smelled the smoke, and he reared, gathering the mares by circling them before he drove them towards the fence.

Having seen the flames, the mares ran right through the flimsy fence, shattering at as they ran to escape the flames on the right canyon wall, their eyes rolling showing the whites of the their eyes, as they squealed in terror, galloping towards the teepees, driven by Gambler's nips and the sparks that landed on their hides.

* * *

><p>Mrs. Potter was stroking Abram's head as her son slept, his head in her lap, trying to ignore the tension between Mary and Chris. An unearthly sound, like a scream reached her ears, and she asked as the others tensed, "What was that?"<p>

The sound came several more times in almost constant succession, and Sara stood up, looking alarmed, "The horses!" She ran towards the teepees, as the Apache men started to come out of their teepees, shouting at each other in their own language and pointing towards the sound of the horses, or at some containers.

The seven followed her, with Jock Steele trailing behind them, though he ran eagerly after them, not wanting to miss a thing.

Mary and Mrs. Potter stayed at the fire, holding their sons close.

* * *

><p>Sara moved easily between all of the Apache who were shouting and running around trying to either stop the horses from stampeding through the tents, or trying to get water to stop the fire from spreading further, it's glow visible from within the box canyon.<p>

Buck shouted as he ran next to Chris, finding it a bit more difficult to maneuver, "Shoot that filly runs fast!"

"Not as fast as those two," Chris stated, watching Vin and Ezra maneuver through the chaos just ahead of them.

Jock Steele managed to catch up with Josiah, who wasn't as spry as he once was, and was just behind Nathan and JD, "This is exciting, isn't it?"

"It depends on your definition of exciting," Josiah shouted over the shouts for the Apache.

Sara spotted the oncoming horses, and she along with several Apache men spread their arms wide and shouted at the horses, getting them to turn away from the teepees.

The mares turned, slowing as they did so, recognizing their riders and caretakers. Gambler and a couple other mares kept running directly towards Sara.

Ezra, managing to make his way out of the chaos slightly ahead of Vin, spotted his daughter standing in front of the oncoming horses galloped towards her, giving no indication of slowing or stopping, "Sara!"

Vin stopped next to his friend, and he watched silent, with worried eyes as the horses drew closer.

At the last minute the mares turned, rolling their eyes and heading towards the rest of the herd. Gambler kept running till the last second, sliding to a halt and raising a cloud of dust, hiding him and Sara for a split second.

Ezra stayed where he was, rooted to the spot, though Vin ran forward, and said, squinting, trying to see past the dust, "Sara?"

"I'm all right," Sara said, the dust slowly clearing, revealing her hugging her horse's muzzle, and Gambler allowing her to do so, his sides heaving, and his skin quivering as sweat dripped down his sides.

Chris and Buck came up behind Ezra, and spotted Sara and Vin just ahead. Grinning, Buck clapped Ezra on the shoulder and asked, "Still not worried about her well being?" Ezra didn't answer him, though he did roll his eyes.

Nathan saw that Sara was unhurt and said to JD, "I'm going to see if they need any help." And he hurried off, grabbing a container on the way to help the Apache keep the fire from spreading.

Josiah came up beside JD with Jock Steele, whose eyes were wide with wonder, "Wow! That was amazing! Do you always stop stampeding horses that way?"

"Not unless you want to go to heaven earlier than planned," Josiah stated. "These horses only slowed because they know who takes care of them, same as Gambler."

"Gambler?" Jock Steele asked, confused, pausing in his frantic writing.

Josiah nodded at Gambler and Sara, "Sara's horse."

"Oh!" Jock Steele said, before he continued his writing.

* * *

><p>After everything had settled down, the first tiny rays of light starting to spread above the horizon, and the fire had died down to mere embers, Chris found Elan staring at burnt remains of a body, the other seven, Sara, and Jock Steele, stood a few feet away, listening intently as Chris said, "Before we stay here any longer, we need to know what's going on and why you've brought us here."<p>

"I was wrong to hide it from you," Elan said softly, his eyes fixed on the remains of the body. "There is a man, Richard Waterson. He came to this land recently, telling us it belonged to him, saying it was for his cattle, though he had no papers that your people like to have to show you own something. This is not the first time he has killed members of my tribe…

At this, Jock Steele whispered loudly, pausing in his writing once again, "He's the chief?"

"You just figured that out?" Buck muttered, shaking his head.

Elan continued, not hearing the two men, "Just the previous night, he killed three of our warriors, and that's when he gave us his final warning, saying we should or be slaughtered….Bodaway and I came to you seeking your help…"

"You want us to give him the message to stay off your land?" Chris guessed.

He sighed, "Yes. I know it's wrong of me to ask such a thing of you and to offer so little…" He emptied his pouch of gold coins, "This is all I can offer for your services."

Chris accepted it, and glanced at the seven, "Let's get to work. I want to know how this fire started and how many men were around here last night!"

They all nodded, except for Jock Steele, who continued to write, only glancing up every now and then to see what the seven and Sara were doing as they spread out.

* * *

><p>Vin stared at the ground near the canyon wall, Chris standing near him, waiting for him to speak. Vin didn't disappoint him, "Looks like there was only one guy around here, Chris, his boot heel left a couple marks here."<p>

"Chris," Nathan called from where he was squatting next to the remains. Chris walked over to him, "See this wound in the chest here?" Chris nodded, "Though the body's burned, it's obvious that this guy died of this here wound. He was dead long before the flames got to him."

Buck, JD, and Sara were on the right side of the box canyon, while Ezra and Josiah were checking the other side for anything that would give a clue as to what set the canyon ablaze the night before.

Ezra remained in the saddle, while Ace grazed placidly. Josiah, who was scouring the terrain for any signs of disturbance, straightened up putting his hands on his hips and asking, "Are you ever going to get off that horse and help me look around?"

"I don't see the reason to," Ezra stated, gesturing towards the right side of the canyon. "I can see that all the evidence is on that side."

Josiah shook his head, before he went back to searching the terrain, muttering, "Lord, give me strength!"

* * *

><p>JD pointed out the obvious as soon as he spotted them, "Those barrels sure look suspicious."<p>

"It's what was in them that worries me," Buck said, dismounting. He knocked the nearest barrel over, and rolled it until the spout was on top. Sniffing it, he said, "What a perfectly good waste of alcohol!"

JD frowned, "Wait, so whoever started the fire used alcohol?"

"I believe that's exactly what he said, Mr. Dunne," Sara said from her position on the ground, where she was studying some tracks.

JD dismounted and looked at the ground as well, "Hey! Here's a broken match!"

"Usually used to ignite a fire, yes," Sara stated, glancing off into the distance.

Annoyed, JD demanded, "What'd you find?"

"I believe, though I'm no tracker, that I found the culprit's getaway horse's tracks, these back ones deeper than front, showing where the horse took off from, presumably at a gallop… Whoever was here would have been in a hurry to leave if they didn't want to be caught."

JD walked over to her and squinted at the ground, "Hell, I don't see anything!"

Buck chuckled from where he was, "That's because Vin never showed you how to track, Boy!"

JD's cheeks flushed red, and he scowled at Buck, "You don't know how to track either, Buck!"

"But I have the good sense to admit it!" Buck said, chuckling before he called down, "Hey, Vin! Why don't you come up here for a minute.

"I'm already on my way," Vin grunted as he came up the slope. "What've you found?"

"Sara here's found some tracks," Buck said, grinning.

Vin squatted down next to Sara, examining the tracks, "This had to be the guy's horse, since the horse here pushed off hard, probably going right into a gallop." JD's scowl became more prominent as Vin confirmed Sara's earlier statement.

Jock Steele was still writing as he walked up the slope of the right side of the canyon, slipping every now and then, but managing to keep himself from falling completely. As he heard Vin talking about the tracks, he wrote feverishly, muttering, "This. Is. GOLD!"

* * *

><p>Chris stared up the slope, but movements up near the teepees caught his attention, and he watched them lead the mares, and Gambler towards a different box canyon. He called to them, spotting Bodaway, "You think it's wise to put them in another box canyon after last night?"<p>

"It's the safest place for them," Bodaway said, "Besides, there's not enough room for our entire herd near the teepees." Chris frowned, but he didn't say anything.

"Chris!" A young voice shouted, drawing his attention as Billy and Abram came dashing towards him, Mary and Mrs. Potter hurrying after them. "You're going to catch the bad guys again, right, Chris?" Billy asked eagerly.

"'Course he will," Abram said. "He and the others always catch them!"

"Abram!" Mrs. Potter scolded as she caught up to her son, "You shouldn't run off like that, it's dangerous!"

"Ah, Mom!" Abram whined. "Chris and the others wouldn't let us get hurt!" Mrs. Potter had no argument for that.

"Billy!" Mary Travis said, her tone scolding.

Billy looked sheepish, "I know I shouldn't have run off like that, Mama, but it's boring just sitting around."

Mary didn't look appeased, "Until this is over, you're doing to have to find a different way to entertain yourself."

Billy and Abram both sulked as their mothers dragged them back towards the teepees.

Turning back towards the slope as the others came back down from each side of the canyon, he asked, "What'd you find?"

Vin said, "It was just one guy this time, Chris, just like I thought."

"He used alcohol and matches to set the canyon on fire," Buck added.

Chris glanced at the silent Ezra and Josiah, "Anything on your side?"

"Nothing that we could find," Ezra answered.

Josiah muttered, "Not that you looked very hard.

Nathan informed the others as he stood up, since he had been examining the body closely, "All I could find was that stab wound like I said earlier."

Chris nodded, "All right, we can assume that they'll be back, considering that this Richard guy said he'd slaughter them if they didn't leave."

Josiah said, "The question is, where's he going to focus his forces?"

"And how many men he has with him," Nathan added.

"I'll talk more to Elan," Chris stated. "In the meantime, keep an eye out for trouble, we don't want to be caught off guard." They all nodded and headed back towards the teepees. Jock Steele was left writing in his notebook, and he asked, still focused on his writing, "Is that it gentlemen…gentlemen?" He glanced up and said, "Hey! Wait!" He jogged after them.

* * *

><p>Later that, as the sun set, casting an orange glow over the land, Sara sat on the ground in the middle of a field, Gambler grazing placidly next to her. She glanced at her horse and muttered, "My, my, fickle aren't we? Did you manage to breed with all the mares in season?" Gambler ignored her, continuing his grazing. Sara glanced towards the stream, spotting her father riding slowly, his gaze facing away from camp, searching for any signs of Richard Waterson and his men. Glancing towards the other side of camp, she spotted Josiah on his sturdy, chestnut gelding, Job, scanning the area for the same thing as Ezra.<p>

She sighed, before she glanced to her right, hearing footsteps approaching her. Spotting Jock Steele, she rolled her eyes, but remained where she was.

Jock Steele sat down next to her, and sighed happily, "Isn't this exciting?"

"Exhilarating," she said, sarcastically.

"Oh! I can't wait to see you, Chris, and the others go up against this Richard Waterson and his rumored twenty five men!" Sara rolled her eyes again and stood up, "Where are you going?" Mr. Steele asked, getting to his feet as well.

"To saddle my horse," Sara stated. "Since he's here might as well get him ready, just in case!"

Jock Steele nodded, pulling his pencil away from his right ear and yanking out his notebook. "Right," he muttered writing something down. He watched her intently as she put the saddle on Gambler and put on his bridle, holding his reins in her hands, staring in the different directions, looking for signs of Waterson and his men.

* * *

><p>Billy and Abram wandered around the teepees, bored, the Apache children having gone to bed. Billy glanced towards the canyons, and asked Abram, "Shall we go explore down there? Maybe the bad guys are hiding there!"<p>

"Yeah, sure!" Abram said excitedly, glad to have something to do.

They took off, picking a canyon quite a few yards away from the one that had been ablaze the night before.

Billy said as he stared at the long canyon, a rotted log lying near the edge of the right side of the canyon wall, the path of it curving out of sight to the left, "This one looks like one the bad guys would hide in!" Abram nodded in agreement and the pair darted in eagerly.

* * *

><p>Ezra was by the stream once again, and he stared away from the Apache's teepees, squinting, he spotted movement, and as the shapes drew closer he could make out quite a few riders, turning Ace around, he kicked the horse's sides and rode hard towards the teepees, shouting, "Here they come!"<p>

All of the but Josiah, Mary, and Mrs. Potter heard Ezra's shout, remaining unaware of the approaching riders. The remaining seven, and Sara quickly mounted their horses, and rode in Ezra's directions, while the Apache warriors armed themselves with bows and arrows, knives, and tomahawks, they would not let the seven gunslingers, and a girl gunslinger show them up.

Jock Steele glanced eagerly after Sara as she galloped towards Ezra, and the others.

Josiah, noticing the movement in camp, spurred his horse towards the others, reaching them as they were taking aim at the riders, Bodaway, standing near them said, "That is them, Waterson is in the middle there, with the black horse!"

They all nodded, waiting for the riders to come within range, though the riders had slowed now, seeing the eight riders and the Apache blocking their path.

Vin, with his mare's leg, fired first, hitting his target, a rider wearing a black shirt and pants, with blond hair, fell off his horse.

* * *

><p>Hearing the first shot, Mary and Mrs. Potter exchanged a worried look and they both shouted for their children, but no reply from either of their boys came.<p>

"Billy!" Mary shouted, her voice revealing her panic.

Mrs. Potter's voice revealed her own panic as well, as shot after shot rang out, "Abram? Abram!"

* * *

><p>Though they could hear the gunshots, the two boys were too engrossed in exploring the canyon, going deeper and deeper into its depths, being careful of the bushes and grass that were all over the canyon floor and walls.<p>

Abram commented to Billy, "Maybe there are a few bad guys in here that aren't at the fight? Wouldn't the seven be proud if we found them?"

"Yeah, they would be!" Billy said enthusiastically.

* * *

><p>Five riders fell within the first few minutes of shooting, and several Apache warriors fell as well. As Waterson and his men came closer, they all started dropping like flies, Chris, Buck, Vin, Ezra, Josiah, Nathan, JD, and Sara gunning them down while they kept their horses moving, barely dodging the bullets that came at them. The Apache warriors were showing their prowess with their own weapons, bringing down quite a few of the riders that Waterson had brought with him. The daylight was fading fast though, and Waterson and his remaining men were using it to their advantage, getting closer than the gunslingers liked.<p>

* * *

><p>A lanky man, with a brown duster, a scar on his right cheek, moved quickly past canyon after canyon, on his bay blanket Appaloosa, listening for the sounds of horse, but hearing none until he heard movement down a canyon with a log at the top of the right canyon wall, near the edge. Spurring his horse, he urged it up the slope, not trying to be quiet as the gun shots continued to break the silence of the soon-to-be night.<p>

Once his horse reached the top, he lifted off the four packs he had on his saddle, and he opened them quickly, revealing four small kegs of gun powder and a couple bottles of whiskey.

He studied the canyon, the dried brush and grass more abundant in this canyon than others. Grinning he emptied each keg of gun powder down part of the right side of the canyon, close to the entrance, and on the rotted log, along with the two whiskey bottles, smiling wickedly as he lit a match.

* * *

><p>"Throw down your guns!" Chris shouted him and the others surrounding Waterson and his two remaining men.<p>

Waterson and the two men threw down their guns, though Waterson said, "This land rightfully belongs to me! These heathens have told you nothing but lies!"

"Tell it to the judge," Josiah said, as he rode up to him, a rope in hand.

* * *

><p>JD said, once the three men had been tied up, "Well that was easier than we expected. All we gotta do is get them back to town to stand trial!"<p>

Jock Steele came running over shouting, "That was great! Perfect! Spec…"

His remaining words were drowned out by Mary and Mrs. Potter riding over to them.

"Billy!" Mary screamed, near hysterics.

Mrs. Potter wasn't in any better condition, "Abram!"

"What's wrong?" Chris shouted, turning around to face the two women, and that's when his expression fell, looking horrified as he saw an orange glow behind the teepees that was not the sun, which was now set. The others followed his gaze as they turned around, their expressions soon matching his.

* * *

><p>Billy and Abram reached the end of the box canyon, and Abram complained, "They aren't here!"<p>

"I guess not," Billy said, looking crestfallen. He glanced up at the dark sky, "We should probably had back before our moms get worried about us." Abram nodded in agreement and they both turned around to leave the canyon, when they saw an orange glow ahead of them, which was getting brighter and brighter by the second.

* * *

><p>All of them mounted their horses, while Jock Steele ran towards his mule, which was back at the makeshift corral. Chris was the first one mounted, and he spurred his horse, Justice, the black gelding taking off, and getting ahead of the next three riders, Vin, Buck, and JD, who spurred their horses right after him.<p>

As Chris galloped past, Mary and Mrs. Potter turned their horses in the direction his was going, and spurred them, seeing the orange glow from the canyons.

Josiah and Nathan were the next ones mounted, and they took off after the others, their horses, along with Vin, Buck, and JD's easily overtaking the two women's horses.

Ezra and Sara were the last ones mounted, and their horses ran side by side for several seconds before Gambler started to pull away from Ace, his long strides eating at the distance between him and Justice. Ezra glanced at his daughter in surprise and saw her using her reins to slap each side of Gambler in quick succession as she moved with her horse's movement. With another kick to his horse's side and a shouted, "Hyaa!" Ace sped up, though his shorter stride couldn't get him close to the palomino who continued to gain on Chris and his black gelding.

"Come on!" Sara shouted at Gambler, her gaze locked on the orange glow of the fire ahead as they drew ever closer. Gambler responded to her urging, practically flying over the ground, his muscles straining now as he ran his hardest, passing Nathan and Josiah's horses within a few strides and quickly gaining on JD, Vin, and Buck.

Nathan and Josiah stared at each other in surprise as they watched Gambler fly past them, the horse and rider a blur, though it was obvious that the palomino was putting his all into the mad gallop. They exchanged another glance as Ezra and his bay passed them several seconds later, though the little bay couldn't keep up with the palomino's raw speed as Gambler surged past a surprised Mary and Mrs. Potter.

"Now this is ridin'!" JD shouted to Buck, before he stared, flabbergasted at Sara and Gambler, who stayed beside them for several seconds, before surging ahead, and gaining still on Chris and Justice.

"No, JD!" Buck shouted back, laughing, "THAT'S ridin'!"

Vin glanced to his right as Ezra and Ace became even with him and Peso, but as Ace started to draw ahead of JD and Buck's horses, Peso kept pace with him, as Vin urged Peso to go faster, having noticed Sara up near the front and drawing even with Chris and Justice.

Jock Steele lagged behind the others, his mule moving surprisingly fast, though not catching up with the Josiah and Nathan's horses, he could at least see what was going on ahead of him, as he watched with wide eyes, his gaze eager.

* * *

><p>The lanky man watched with obvious delight as the fire burned below him, blazing. His smile faded though, as he heard shouting and the pounding of hooves. Glancing towards the teepees he made out the figures of approaching riders, though he spotted a black clad rider on a black horse, along with a rider in a scarlet jacket on a palomino getting, drawing slowly ahead of the black horse and rider, far closer to the canyon than he was comfortable with.<p>

Pulling out a packet of matches, and withdrawing one from the container, he lit the match, dropping onto the log, the fire springing to life on it. Putting his right foot against the log he pushed it over the edge and watched its descent.

* * *

><p>Chris stared at Sara in surprise as she and Gambler drew ahead of him, inch by inch, and soon there was a yard or two between them. He glanced at the top of the canyon as movement caught his eye, and he watched as a man pushed a blazing log off the edge of the right wall, and watched as it fell. His gaze went to Sara and Gambler, panicked stricken now as the pair went into the canyon, the log just above their heads as it twisted in its fall, "NO!"<p>

Two other voices shouted at the same time as Chris', Ezra and Vin right behind the gunslinger, though Ezra's voice was louder than Vin's as they both shouted, "SARA!"

Sara crouched lower, pressing her face against her horse's neck as she felt the heat above her, and Gambler leapt into the flames that were already in the canyon, trusting his rider as he continued to run down the canyon path, the log missing his hindquarters by inches, and barricading the entrance and exit to the canyon behind them.

Chris, Vin, and Ezra, yanked on their horses reins, their horses sliding to a halt several yards from the entrance to the canyon, tossing their heads and whinnying in protest. Chris took quick aim at the top of the canyon at the figure that was still there, staring at the blaze, and fired, the figure fell backwards with a cry of pain, gripping his knee. Chris turned his attention back to the flames, gazing anxiously into them.

The others came up behind them, though they slowed their horses, and they all gazed worriedly into the flames.

"Billy!" Mary screamed as she stopped right beside Chris, her eyes filled with tears.

Mrs. Potter stared horrified at the raging inferno, unable to say anything as tears fell down her face.

Jock Steele was the last to arrive, slowing his mule to a halt, and scribbling on his notebook, his gaze darting from the page, to the riders in front of him, to the inferno that illuminated the night for them.

* * *

><p>Gambler's breathing became ragged as he galloped deeper and deeper into the canyon, and Sara wasn't doing much better, trying not to breathe in deeply as the smoke burned her throat and stung her eyes. She no longer used her reins to get Gambler moving faster, right now the horse would continue to run until he had nothing left to give. She squinted, the smoke billowing in front of her, though the flames were racing them, trying to keep pace, but eventually, they outstripped them, and Sara spotted two small figures crouched near the end of the box canyon, crouching in a corner, their faces turned away from the flames, and she shouted, "Billy! Abram!"<p>

At the sound of their names, the two boys stared at her joyfully, running towards her and Gambler. Gambler's eyes rolled, showing the bloodshot whites of his eyes as he came to a stop, his sides heaving as he sought purer air.

Sara dismounted, holding onto Gambler's reins as she boosted first Abram, and then Billy up into the saddle. Mounting behind them, and putting her arms securely around them, none of them comfortable, she gave Gambler's neck and pat, and whispered as they faced the terrible inferno ahead, "I need you to get us out of here, Gambler, give me whatever reserves you've got." With a swift kick and a, "Hiyaa!" Gambler leapt forward, charging into the flames that could not be avoided.

* * *

><p>All of the seven were still as stone in their saddles as minute after minute dragged by, and there was no sign of Sara and the two boys; their horses pawing the ground, the only signs of how agitated and worried they really were.<p>

Ace snorted and pranced in place, though along with pawing the ground whenever he was still, and Ezra's face was very pale as he gazed at the blaze before him.

Mary sobbed into Chris' shoulder as the minutes dragged on, Chris rubbing her back as he stared into the flames, and Josiah comforted Mrs. Potter, who was sobbing as well.

Jock Steele's eyes continued to dart from his paper, to the riders in front of him, and to the inferno as he wrote furiously into his notebook.

* * *

><p>Sara winced as sparks from the flames hit her skin, an she felt Gambler put on an extra burst of speed every now and then, and she knew that he was getting hit by the sparks as well. She rasped to Billy and Abram, her throat raw, "Keep your heads down, boys!"<p>

Feeling Gambler's body starting to turn, she moved with him, knowing the exit was close. As they got nearer and nearer to the exit, the smoke cleared for a second and Sara spotted the log blocking there path, and she swore upon seeing it.

As they drew near to the log, Sara rasped, "Hang on!" Gambler gathered himself, Sara moving with the motion of his body, and leapt into the air with this three person load. Sara held her breath as Gambler's front half cleared the log followed by his hind legs as he descended towards the ground, landing with a grunt and continuing his gallop. Releasing her held breath, Sara slowed her horse, as they all gulped for fresh air.

JD and Buck were the first to reach Sara after watching Gambler leap out of the flames with his three person load.

"Holy shit!" JD greeted her with, staring at Sara and Gambler.

Buck grinned, "That was some mighty fine riding, young lady!"

Gambler's head hung low as he gulped the fresh air, his sides heaving and legs spread wide to keep himself up. Sara and the two boys were also filling their lungs with the fresh air, none of them willing to dismount yet, though Sara allowed the reins to fall from her hands.

Ezra, Vin, and Nathan galloped over to her, Vin said to Ezra, grinning, "She sure is something else, Ezra."

Ezra didn't comment as he rode Ace up to Gambler's right side, though he didn't say anything. He seemed at a loss for words.

Chris, Mary, Mrs. Potter, and Josiah were the last ones to ride over, Mary and Mrs. Potter flinging themselves off their horses and sprinting over to Gambler, taking their boys out of the saddle and into their arms.

"Oh, Billy I was so worried!" Mary sobbed, clutching her son to her.

Mrs. Potter kissed Abram over and over again on the cheek, clutching him to her as well.

Chris said as he rode up, "You did good, Sara." She acknowledged his praise with a quick glance, before she dismounted her legs unsteady, clutching the saddle to keep her balance.

Nathan examined the boys, with some difficulty due to their mothers' reluctance to let them go, but he said, "They'll be fine, looks like they managed to avoid getting burned, they'll just need something to soothe their throats." He turned to Sara, and tried to get her to face him, but she continued to clutch the saddle, "Come on, now! I need to make sure you're not injured."

"I need to check Gambler over first," she rasped, pushing away from the saddle.

Vin said quickly as he dismounted, "I'll look him over, Sara. Let Nathan take a look at you now."

Sara reluctantly allowed Nathan to check her over. Ezra finally spoke after a couple minutes, "Is she all right?"

Nathan nodded, "She's got some burns, but I expected that. I figure she's more exhausted from that wild ride than anything else."

Ezra nodded, satisfied with that answer. Josiah rode up next to him and asked, "Were you worried about her, Ezra?"

"Of course not," Ezra scoffed. "Really, Mr. Sanchez, I would have thought you'd know me better!" He urged Ace into a walk, putting some distance between himself and Josiah. Josiah merely shook his head, a huge grin on his face.

Jock Steele remained where he was, watching the scene from afar, continuing to write in his notebook.

* * *

><p>The next morning, as they were preparing to leave, their four prisoners in tow, the lanky man who had set the canyon ablaze among them along with Waterson, Mary approached Sara, who was putting the saddle onto Gambler's back, both horse and rider sporting burns from the night before, and both were still covered sporadically in soot and ash from the night before.<p>

Mary said, once she was close enough, "Sara?"

Sara turned, glancing at her, though she went back to getting the saddle on her horse, tightening the girth strap.

"I didn't get the chance to thank you for saving Billy last night," She paused, and Sara glanced at her. "Thank you."

"No problem," Sara rasped, though her voice was better than last night.

Mary added, "I'm sorry for how I treated you when you first came here, it seems I misjudged you."

Sara didn't comment, until after she had mounted Gambler, "We need to get going, Mrs. Travis, before Nathan starts shouting at us to get moving so he can treat the two boys and myself."

Mary smiled as she walked over to her bay, hoisting Billy up before she climbed into the saddle herself. All of the others were already mounted.

Elan said as Chris gave the signal to leave, "Ashoge,... Egogahan"

Chris glanced at the chief in confusion, but Vin said so everyone could hear him, "He said thanks…until we meet again."

Smiling slightly, Chris said over his shoulder, "Hopefully it'll be for better reasons next time!"

All of the Apache tribe waved and watched them leave, smiling at them.

Jock Steele started to talk right away, "I can't believe all the material I have, I bet this sells better than the last book…!"

* * *

><p>Josiah sat outside the church reading by the afternoon light a day later, taking a break from working on the church, his tool box beside him. His eyes moved over the page as he read: "They all watched the flames with anxious eyes, though only the two mothers cried for their sons. The Magnificent Seven were still in their saddles, only their horses' movements betraying their anxiety for the young woman who had become a part of their group without them even realizing it. None were more anxious than the gambler, Ezra though, his bay mount more agitated than the rest, betraying his rider's true emotions, as he waited for some sign of his daughter amongst the blaze.<p>

Out of the smoke the palomino leapt into the air, the flames seeming to part for him, giving him wings as he cleared the log that had blocked the entrance/exit to the camp, galloping for several paces before Sara brought him to a halt, the horse and his three passengers gasped for breath; relishing the smoke free air.

Everyone rushed towards the trio, JD, though more experienced now, and still considered the greenhorn exclaiming over the feat, and Buck, the gunman who's taken the younger gunslinger under his wing, with Vin following, the bounty hunter with a price on his own head following close behind them along with Ezra, the gambler who continues to deny his feelings towards his daughter…"

Josiah stopped reading there, smiling as he spotted Ezra watching his daughter entertain Billy, Abram, and the other children with her card tricks, her bandages from a month before now gone.

* * *

><p><em><strong>I've used my own guestimations for the seven's ages, and I'm aware that the horses' names aren't the names of the actual horses the actors rode. I got the Apache words and meanings from ., and I came up with the Navajo tribe (tribe in Manhunt) based off the information from this site: ..com~. **_

_**Thank you to all who have reviewed and/or favorited!**_


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